Ten Months of Bliss
by westpoints
Summary: [COMPLETE] Senior year at East High. Alcohol, sex, and gossip throw everyone together. Drama, irreconcilable differences, and prom probably won't help. Ten years from now, SOMEone has to look back and laugh.  Chadpay, Troyella, and Ryan being Ryan.
1. August

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 1

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: High School Musical belongs entirely to Disney and whatever owns Disney.

* * *

_August_

_---- _

Two new notebooks, a hairbrush, and several sparkly new pens. Sharpay looked disdainfully at them before closing her shoulderbag. Senior year was not starting off with the bang she never expected it to be. Ryan walked briskly beside her, two iced coffees balanced on the cardboard tray in his hand.

Hers was the one with the pink lipstick stain.

Various drama kids smiled at her as she went past. She smirked back.

Chad whisked by, his surgically attached basketball making its rounds down the suddenly shrieking hall. Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Ice Princess!" he yelled. Sharpay looked around carefully for authority figures before giving him the finger. Chad, for once, stopped bouncing the ball and came back to walk on her other side. His posse lingered behind. "That wasn't very nice."

Sharpay said, "You're invading my personal space."

"Oh, I see she hasn't warmed up a bit!" Chad said to the general student population.

Ryan snorted at the trite joke.

Chad looked over, and spotted the coffee. "Oh, coffee. You shouldn't have." He reached over to take a cup. Ryan quickly grabbed his.

Sharpay picked up her own and spit in it.

"Ew," said Chad.

"You're right," Sharpay said, "I shouldn't have."

The bell rang.

----

Mrs. Darbus still insisted on theater kisses and treating Sharpay like a freshman. A very powerful, talented freshman, but a freshman nonetheless.

Ryan asked, "What happened to her?" when she kept talking.

Sharpay looked at her watch. "She ate a thesaurus over break." She looked at her watch again. Five minutes over. "This is getting wretchedly long."

Mrs. Darbus cleared her throat. "Sharpay, anything you'd like to share with your homeroom?"

Sharpay inhaled. She might as well get it out of her system. "This is like, going to be an amazing senior year!" she said, doing jazz hands. She did them for too long on purpose. Beside her, Ryan fanned his fingers in a half-hearted attempt. He knew it was her performance.

Mrs. Darbus sighed. "I can only hope it will remain tasteful. All right, talk amongst yourselves _quietly_."

Taylor wasn't in their homeroom, so Chad leaned away from the Troy-Gabriella scene to talk to Sharpay. "Were you at the country club this summer?" he asked.

"You probably would've seen me, Danforth," she said.

"I didn't see you."

"I wasn't there."

"Well, then, where were you?"

Sharpay looked at him. Her tanned fingers slid across his forearm. She purred, "You're a really bad stalker."

----

"Where _were_ you?" Kelsi asked at lunch.

Sharpay looked down at her salad. The lettuce was wilting. The tomatoes looked wormy. Ryan was already sucking at the bottom of his milk carton. She felt the urge to stab herself in the throat with her fork.

"I was in England for a month," she said.

"You're tan," Kelsi observed.

"It's an island." She chanced a look over the balcony at the lower cafeteria. The basketball table seemed to be vibrating. "Oh dear lord."

"What?" asked Kelsi.

Still watching the people, Sharpay mumbled, "If they try that 'Status Quo' shit one more time, I swear—"

"They're cheering," Ryan said flatly.

"They're what?" Sharpay asked.

"Cheering."

"_What?_"

"They're like—huddling," Ryan clarified.

"Why?"

Ryan shrugged. Sharpay groaned. Kelsi nodded.

Somewhere from the depths of hell, a cacophony of voices chanted "_Gooooooooo Wildcats!_"

Sharpay pushed her plate away and settled her head in her arms. "Wake me up, Ryan."

Ryan poked her. "Hey. Chad Danforth is waving at you."

----

Free period. Sharpay pulled old costumes out from storage and sorted them. High school drama was rarely glamorous and never innovative. She and Ryan then piled the clothes together and sprawled.

"I thought we left this stuff for detention," Ryan said. His voice was muffled by a sequined red hat.

"No one gets detention on the first day."

Sharpay heard Mrs. Darbus greet an arrival out in the house. "Except," she sneered, "for the alpha male and his mate."

"Ah, Mr. Bolton and Mr. Danforth, how expected. The Evans twins are in the inner sanctum of the theater categorizing the stage attire from the previous season, if you would care to assist them?"

Sharpay mouthed "inner sanctum" to Ryan and grinned. She extended her arms behind her head and stretched until she heard her shoulders pop. Relaxing carefully on top of a stack of camouflage jackets, she waited for the inevitable—

"Sharpay!" Chad said. He walked through the curtain. Troy trailed behind him.

"Hello, Troy," Sharpay said. "It's nice to know that some people never change." Troy frowned. The two loomed over the Evans twins.

Ryan, unconcerned with his position, asked, "Are you trying out for the musical this time?" Sharpay rolled her eyes.

Troy laughed nervously. "I don't know. I guess—it's all up to Gabbie. I mean, I wouldn't mind—"

Sharpay interrupted, "You're rambling."

Chad rocked on the balls of his feet. He said, "So this is what theater kids do all day."

"Isn't it luxurious?" Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "What did you do to get in here?"

"My hair is too big," he said.

"That only happens in movies."

"I just wanted to see you."

Sharpay inspected her nails. "I can imagine why."

"I wanted to try out for the musical, too."

"Someone told me you were a good singer."

Chad almost looked hopeful. "Who?"

"Nobody." Ryan laughed quietly. Sharpay smiled sweetly, "But really, Chad. Troy. This is all we're doing today."

"I'm missing practice for _this_?" Troy hissed.

Sharpay wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Showbiz, baby."

----

Home now. Ryan poured himself a bowl of cereal in the giant, wood-varnished kitchen.

Sharpay went to the freezer and unearthed an orange popsicle. It tasted like water and Splenda, but it was cold. "We need more," she said, and fanned herself ineffectively.

Ryan nodded. "At least we get to change soon."

"Yeah. For _dance_." Ryan grimaced and shoved more Honeyed Bunches of Oats into his mouth.

"Mm," he said, chewing.

"Swallow."

Ryan swallowed. "What are we going for this year?"

Sharpay bit down and winced at the cold. "Brainfreeze," she said, and screwed up her face, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Sorry, what?"

Ryan said, "I mean, last year was Troy for you."

Sharpay groaned, "Don't remind me." She looked at Ryan. "I saw you with Martha."

Ryan clutched at his chest. Sharpay smirked.

"Poor you, all jealous of Troy and Gabriella."

Ryan said, "I'm only jealous of one of them."

Sharpay said, "Of course."

They ate in silence for a minute. Sharpay finished crunching her popsicle and got up. "I suppose," she started. "I guess I'll settle for Danforth."

"Settle?" Ryan asked.

"Well, it's not like he's going to leave me alone."

Ryan shrugged. "He flirts with anything that breathes."

Sharpay said, "I'm not that easy."

"At least make him work for it."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Please."

"You're not actually going to date him, are you?"

Sharpay said, again, "Please," and went to go change.

----

* * *

So. I start again with a multi-chaptered Chadpay, dedicated to **StarVitamin **because neither of us had written a Chadpay in such a long time (and then she went and wrote one. heh). And a new style! I'm only writing a few chapters in advance, so I don't know how regular the updates will be. Much apologies. 

But until then, please review! Really, any kind of feedback would be welcome.


	2. September

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 2

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: High School Musical is property of Disney._  
_

* * *

_September_

----

After a month, the entire school settled into its usual routines. Sharpay observed as she walked through the hall. Students chatted against their lockers. Some chatted into their lockers. Jocks talked too loudly about things that no one else cared about. Ivy Leaguers compared notes on admissions deadlines. Skateboarders showed off fresh bruises and scars. No one talked about baking or hip hop or playing the cello, for which Sharpay was eternally grateful.

Cheerleaders pinned up posters for Homecoming.

"Why is it called _home_coming?" Ryan asked.

"Because school is our real home, apparently." Sharpay scoffed. She plucked her usual iced coffee from the tray and sipped. "Pride, Ryan."

Ryan said, "Rah, rah."

A group huddled around the announcement pole. Sharpay used her stilettos to her advantage and jostled her way to the front. Where that didn't work, she found bare skin and pressed her coffee against it.

The entire pole was covered in paper. Sharpay grabbed one. It was a reminder to athletes about escorts for Homecoming. "It's a reminder to athletes about escorts for Homecoming," Sharpay said when she'd fought her way out.

Ryan retrieved the paper from her and crumpled it.

"Thank you," she said.

"Are we going to Homecoming?" Ryan asked.

"After party," Sharpay said.

The bell rang.

----

Honors English IV had two posters in the room and a clock that no one could see. Sharpay checked her watch continuously and doodled shoes in between. Something about stage direction and lighting was being discussed, but she didn't really care.

Something hit her foot. She reached down nonchalantly and retrieved a folded piece of paper and unfolded it. And laughed.

"Miss Evans," Mr. Kemble said severely, "is there something amusing about _Death of a Salesman_ that you would like to share?"

Sharpay smiled charmingly. "Mr. Danforth wants to know if I'll be his escort for Homecoming."

Mr. Kemble glared at Chad, who attempted to look smug. "Well?" Chad said good-naturedly.

"No." Sharpay heard the sigh of relief from the other girls and crumpled the paper in her fist.

"I'll see you in detention," said Mr. Kemble.

----

Lunch _on_ campus today. Sharpay had found humus. Kelsi had never tried humus.

"You've never tried humus?" Ryan asked.

"No?"

Sharpay crossed her arms and scowled at the lower floor.

"What's the gossip?" Ryan asked. He tore his pita bread and gave a section to Kelsi.

"Escorts."

Sharpay squinted. Out of the masses, someone was trying to get her attention. No, it was just Zeke being tall. But Chad stood next to him, looking straight up at her. He waved.

"Chad Danforth just waved to me," she said.

Kelsi said, "Really?"

Mark, a drama kid, dropped down on the other side of Kelsi. "Oo," he said.

"Humus, I know," said Ryan.

Sharpay asked, "What took _you_ so long?"

"I was stranded in the sea of jocks."

Sharpay made sympathetic noises.

Ryan said, "You trying out for the play, Mark?"

"Butler." Mark reached out and took a piece of pita for himself. "Whose is this?"

"Mine," Sharpay said. Chad started to walk towards the stairs. "Chad Danforth is walking up here."

"Yum," said Mark.

"I think he's coming to talk to me."

"Don't get too excited," said Mark. Sharpay glared at him. "Retracted."

Chad came up the stairs. He pulled up a chair, reversed it, and straddled the seat, dangling his hands over the back. "Sharpay," he drawled.

"No."

"I was wondering—"

"No."

"Oh come—"

Sharpay looked him in the eye. "No," she said. Chad got up.

"You'll come," he said confidently. Sharpay snorted.

"Not with you."

Chad nodded at the rest of them and left.

----

Sharpay's throat felt dry. She found a lukewarm bottle of water backstage and sipped at it. The detention kids were building props for the play, Chad Danforth actually making an effort. She ignored him. She was trying not to pay attention to him. Ryan stopped beside her, a can of paint in his hand.

"Someone to see you, your Highness," he said, and Sharpay grinned.

"Show him in."

"_Her_," Ryan said, and stepped aside. Sharpay, mid-swallow, almost choked.

"Gabriella!" Gabriella bound forward and hugged her. "You're touching me!" Ryan laughed at her silently.

After the hug got awkward, Sharpay started gesturing at Ryan to help her.

Ryan got Troy. "Gabi, what are you doing here?"

Gabriella let go. "Well, I just realized that I haven't seen Sharpay in for_ever_, and I knew you were here!"

Troy said, "What? Oh." Sharpay palmed her face and walked away carefully.

She spotted Mark, who was painting lattice work. Careful of the splatter radius, Sharpay perched gingerly on a bench. She looked over at the Golden Couple. "Why do I live?"

Mark said, "Gabriella?" and made sympathetic noises.

"Save me."

Mark sighed. "Why don't you like her? She's sweet."

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. She said, "She's sweet."

Mark laughed. "Are you going to Homecoming?"

"After party," Sharpay said. Gabriella detached herself from Troy and looked around for Sharpay. "How many Hail Mary's do I have to say?"

"Nothing's gonna save you now," Mark mumbled.

Sharpay frowned. Something had to be done. Chad winked at her from across the room. "I'm going to talk to Chad," she said decisively.

Gabriella came up to Mark, looking quizzically after Sharpay, who walked away quickly.

"She's going to talk to Chad," Mark said with false cheer.

"She's going to talk to Chad," Gabriella said with bewilderment.

"I'm going to talk to you!" Sharpay yelled at Chad, just for good measure. He saluted with his paintbrush.

She stopped by his board, which he was painting white. "Hey Tom Sawyer," she said.

"Hey Becky."

Sharpay smiled. "I'll go to Homecoming—" Chad smiled— "but not with you. I'm not going to stand on a football field for half an hour in heels for you." She smiled wider. "Nothing against you, of course."

----

There was something to be said for abandoned barns, but Sharpay couldn't quite remember what it was. But someone had brought speakers, there was contraband alcohol (and a game of pong), and everyone knew how to crank dat soulja boy, so she left it alone. It wasn't a _horrible_ after party.

Ryan was dancing with Mark, which didn't surprise her. Troy was dancing with Gabriella, which didn't surprise her. Chad was dancing with Taylor, which did surprise her. Taylor had bothered to—oh no, that was someone else. Sharpay grinned.

There was a reason Chad had asked her and not Taylor.

She balanced a plastic cup in her fingertips carefully. Might as well enjoy it now; can't get smashed every night when you're a Broadway star. She sipped, and grimaced as the warm bitterness flowed down her throat. The beer sucked. "This beer sucks," she said, to no one in particular.

The song ended, and Chad stepped away from Not Taylor. He approached Sharpay, a question on his lips.

"There's not enough alcohol here," she said before he could ask.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Just one dance."

"I'm a good dancer," Sharpay said.

"So teach me." He reached out to take the cup from her.

Sharpay leaned back. "I'm keeping this." At his face, she raised her eyebrows. "Beer goggles might be required."

"Oh fuck you," Chad said.

Sharpay reached out her free hand and grabbed his t-shirt and dragged him to the middle of the barn floor. Tilting her head back, she swallowed the rest of the amber liquid.

Around them, hips moved, hands roamed, lips brushed, and it was a wild, wild party.

----

* * *

I'm pretty sure that as this thing goes on, each chapter will get longer as more and more high school situations happen to me. While I wait for inspiration to hit the fan, though, I'll use up my cushion stock. Aaaaaaand..._The Wild Party_, Lippa version is my latest obsession. 

Another note: For other Chadpay goodness, go read a joint fic between me and the queen of creativity, StarVitamin, under the penname **Penguin-Vitamin**. It's called "A Lifetime of Mean Reds." It's long. In fact, we're not even finished writing it. But it's fantastic.

Thanks for reading, and please review!

* * *


	3. October

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 3

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: HSM belongs to Disney. I am not Disney.

* * *

_October_

_---- _

Backstage, Sharpay rummaged through her shoulder bag. "Hair-straightener, where's my brush? Brush brush brush..."

Ryan checked his watch. "You have ten minutes."

Sharpay gave up and tied half her hair back, plugged in her straightener and waited for it to heat up. She tried to finger comb her hair.

Fuck. "Fuck," she said.

"You did."

Sharpay turned and smirked. "So did you."

"Imagine that."

The straightener beeped, and she picked it up. "How hypocritical we become," she said.

"Well, it's all on the DL for now," Ryan said.

Sharpay said, focusing on her reflection, "'Sa small school."

"It's enormous."

Sharpay met his eyes in the mirror and said, "Depends on who you are."

"Oh, well." Ryan smiled. "It's very small."

Sharpay let down another section of hair and went to work frying the hell out of it.

"I need chapstick," she mentioned.

"_Chapstick_?"

"For Chad," Sharpay clarified. Ryan nodded. "It's like stubble, only not sexy."

"I've got some Burt's."

"Oo, gimme."

"Later."

The bell rang.

Sharpay muttered, "Fuck."

----

She'd thrown her hair up in a bun during homeroom, and was now sitting boredly in Economics. Gabriella sat next to her, scribbling madly in her notebook. Sharpay wondered why the girl hadn't just taken an AP.

Oh yes. Because there were none left.

The teacher said something about homework. Start it now.

Sharpay made a note to copy Gabriella's notes at some point.

Something poked her wrist, and she looked down. A piece of paper lay on the desk.

She felt like a third-grader.

_Is it true? _The unfolded message asked. Sharpay looked over at Gabriella. Gabriella looked back.

_Clarify_.

_You and Chad_.

Sharpay frowned. She and Chad had tried to be discreet. Drastic measures would have to be taken.

_Some people don't swing that way_, Sharpay wrote.

Gabriella's eyes widened. _Not everyone in theater is gay_.

She almost laughed.

_I'm not talking about theater_.

----

It was all over the school by lunch. Sharpay watched Chad being interrogated by the basketball team intensely, accepted grudgingly, and carefully left alone. She felt a little guilty.

"Oh, they'll get over it," Ryan said from her elbow. He offered her cheesefries, which she refused. "We're in high school. It's a rumor. Started by _you_."

"What?" Kelsi asked.

"Chad's not really gay," Ryan said to her.

"He's not?"

Mark asked, "Who's not what?"

"Chad Danforth is not really gay," Ryan said louder. Sharpay flapped her hand at him to lower his voice. If she wanted to preserve secrecy, then the rumor had to stay alive.

Mark said, "I knew that. I thought he was—"

"He is," Sharpay said. "It doesn't mean _every_one has to know."

"He's what?" Kelsi asked.

"Nothing," said Ryan.

"Nothing," said Mark.

"Shut up," said Sharpay. She squinted. The virgin table seemed to be hushed today. She wondered why they were so subdued. "Ryan, why isn't the virgin table jolly and sprightly today?" Sharpay asked.

"Do we care?"

"It's—off-putting." Sharpay shook her head. It really didn't matter. She reached out for Ryan's cheesefries.

Kelsi said to Mark, "Know your lines?"

Mark shrugged. "I practiced with Ryan last night."

Ryan smiled to himself. Kelsi looked between the two, and then at Sharpay, who was watching them with amusement.

"I think I'm getting left out of something," she said.

Sharpay pushed the paper tray of fries away and paused. "Give me a second, Kelsi."

She rummaged in her purse. Ryan said, "Orbit?" Sharpay pulled out a pack and pushed a stick into her mouth.

Mark asked, "What is she doing?"

Ryan said, "The virgin table is laughing again. The world is saved."

Sharpay chewed until the flavor was lost and spit out the gum. Kelsi watched her tentatively. Lipgloss found its way out of the purse, and Sharpay applied a fresh coat. Ryan returned his attention to the table.

Well, Sharpay thought, time to prove Gabriella wrong. She smiled at Kelsi. "You think you're getting left out?"

Kelsi nodded slowly.

Sharpay looked around quickly, ascertained that the rest of the school was occupied, and pulled Kelsi across the table and kissed her. By the angle, she'd almost missed, but expertise kept Kelsi's mouth against hers until a proper kiss could happen. Kelsi's lips were smooth, soft, small, and incredibly shy. Sharpay had to restrain herself from licking them.

She let Kelsi go with a satisfied smirk. "Now you're all caught up."

Kelsi staggered backwards to her seat. "Oh," she said. She frowned. "Everyone's gay?"

Sharpay groaned and laid her head down on the table. She remembered what was probably on the table and shifted to rest her head on her arms.

Mark poked her. "Chad Danforth is coming up here. I think he knows."

Sharpay muttered into her sleeve, "Fuck."

----

"My hair looks wretched," Sharpay said critically to her side view in the mirror. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

She turned around and hit Mark. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

Mrs. Darbus yelled, "Places!" and Mark put up his hands apologetically as he went onstage.

Kelsi stood by the curtain, marking her copy of the script as stage manager. Sharpay winked at her before taking her place.

"As you know, my thespians," Mrs. Darbus began. Ryan rolled his eyes at her across the stage. Sharpay stuck out her tongue. "—happened upon a stage adaption of the movie _Clue_. I believe, in true dramatic style, that—"

Sharpay fought the urge to rebel and plastered a smile on her face.

The voice droned on.

Kelsi started imitating Mrs. Darbus' gesticulations.

Sharpay pulled her bun out and tried to salvage it.

Ryan made obscene signs with his fingers.

Mark mimed himself into a box.

Mrs. Darbus kept talking.

----

Showered and exhausted, Sharpay leaned back against Chad in her dimly lit room. "You know," she murmured, "I always wanted to start a revolution."

Chad looked up from nuzzling her neck. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No." She tilted her head back for more effect. "I'm letting you get to know me."

"I thought I knew you."

She grimaced and said, "You are not Jack Sparrow."

"What?"

"Never mind." Chad's rough lips moved up to her ear. Sharpay made a note to get chapstick. "But, I figured, since Gabriella already guessed..."

He paused. "Thanks for throwing me under the tracks," said Chad.

"You're very welcome," said Sharpay.

Chad mumbled against her skin. "What about this revolution?"

"We're going to have to do something about your PR," Sharpay said.

"_You're_ going to do something about my PR," Chad said.

"I am." Chad stopped for a second.

"Oh," he said, and continued.

Sharpay sighed and turned around and captured his lips in a long, drawn out kiss. "I'm tired," she said. She stifled a yawn. "I had dance today."

Chad nodded. "I can go," he offered.

Sharpay said, "No, stay." She thought carefully. "We'll have to act like we're interested in each other at Jason's Halloween party next week."

Chad groaned. "I didn't think we were going to be _serious_," he said.

"You break my heart." Sharpay said. "But randomly making out with girls is the fastest way to confirm that you're gay. We have to start it slow and pretend that we got the _idea_ from Gabriella."

"Fuck," Chad said.

"Sorry, no," Sharpay said.

Silence descended as she turned her back to him again and closed her eyes. He went back to nosing at her ear. "Just so you know," he whispered, "I'm always interested in you."

"Spare me," Sharpay said. "I'm going to sleep now."

"Don't leave me here."

"Chad, I am tired. My hair is wretched. I have to prove you're not gay. I have to pretend I like you—"

"You do like me."

"—I have to save you from your delirium."

"I'm not hallucinating."

Sharpay said, "Good_night_."

----

* * *

So, you should probably know that Chad and Sharpay hooked up after Homecoming and had it so good that they decided to keep going. It happens a lot, believe me. This chapter is dedicated to **StarVitamin**, because we're both obsessed with slash pairings in HSM, and I just passed up two good opportunities to branch out. I promised her a Chadpay. Which doesn't mean that there won't be any gay couples at all. (Ryan, after all...) 

**This is important**: After Friday's premiere of HSM2 (which I have low expectations for, because...it's a sequel), I'm suspending my update until at least week later, to let all the Troyella and Troypay and Chaylor and Ryella and whatever else there is to blow over. There is an unbelievable amount of bad fiction in this category, and I'd rather not drown in that flood. In the meantime, though, I'm going to troll anything that's updated or published after the premiere and review every last one that's **well-written**, no matter what pairing. And then maybe, if I have enough energy, I'll con-crit the really bad ones. I ask you guys to join me in this, because there is still a chance for those of us who enjoy reading because we like a good **story**, not because we have twisted fangirl fantasies.

Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. November

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 4

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: At this point, I don't even know if I _want_ High School Musical._  
_

* * *

_November_

----

In one hand, Chad carried their coffee tray, the other around Sharpay's shoulders. Ryan walked briskly on the other side, in conversation with Mark. Sharpay felt violated by Chad's touch, but grasped at his hand anyway. It deferred some rumors, but still. Some things she preferred to keep private.

"I feel violated," Sharpay said.

"You do not," Chad said.

Sharpay asked, "Is this the part where we fall in love?"

"Not yet."

"Good." Sharpay took her coffee.

"It's nice to know that we're using each other."

"I could do worse," Sharpay said. "You could not use the chapstick."

Chad said, "It tingles deliciously."

The subjects of East High, realizing that Sharpay was being Sharpay, had abandoned interest in Chad's sexual orientation. Instead, they just followed his not-quite relationship closely. Sharpay had to confess to some comfort that Chad wasn't as stupid as he acted, but he was still an arrogant jock.

"Where's Troyella?" Sharpay asked.

"Doing it," Chad said flippantly.

"That doesn't tell me _where_."

Ryan said, "Where's Kelsi?"

"Not doing it," said Chad.

"That's sad," said Mark.

"That's life," said Sharpay.

"Mm," said Ryan.

Chad asked, "What happened to Jason?"

Ryan said, "Sharpay." Sharpay glanced at him and paused by her locker.

"Just because some people can't appreciate me," she said and checked her appearance.

The bell rang.

----

Troy and Gabriella were in homeroom, and Sharpay and Chad were obliged to talk to them.

"I can't believe you, Chad!" Chad started.

He said, "What? Oh."

Gabriella went on, "Sharpay had told me that you were gay!"

Sharpay said, "I lied." She showed her teeth. Someday, she vowed, Gabriella would get it.

Troy looked at Gabriella fondly. He said, "You can't believe everything people say, Gabi."

"I know, but—"

"Actress," Sharpay said.

Gabriella gasped. Something occurred to her. She said, breathlessly, "Oh, but are you..."

"Oh god no," said Sharpay. "I'm being nice."

"I'm boosting her popularity."

Troy said, "True love."

----

Chad dangled his car keys. "Where are we going off campus?"

Sharpay counted on her fingers. "Well, we have Pizza Inn—" Ryan smirked. "—Starbucks—" Chad stuck out his tonuge. "—IHOP—" Mark mumbled "wretched." "—and everyone's favorite, Quizno's." Everyone frowned at that.

"Pizza Inn it is then," Mark declared, and seized Ryan's keys.

"Why?" asked Kelsi.

Sharpay said, "Vegetarian pizza."

Mark said, "Chocolate chip pizza."

Chad said, "Food."

Ryan said, "Come on, let's go."

----

Sharpay sat next to Kelsi and across from Chad. Eyeing other East High students, she leaned into Kelsi and asked, "Kenny. Kill, marry, or screw?"

Kelsi jumped. She said, "What?"

Sharpay inclined her head at a laughing chess club member. She said, "Kenny. Kill. Marry. Or screw."

Kelsi looked frightened. "Kill?"

"Oo," said Mark. "KMS!"

Ryan said, "What?"

"KMS!" Mark repeated. Ryan grinned.

Sharpay cut her vegetarian pizza and ate. Ryan said, "Mark. KMS Chad?"

Mark looked at Chad, who was currently inhaling a large slice of meat lover's. "Screw," he said.

Chad said, "What?"

"Chad!" Mark said. "Kill, marry, or screw Kelsi?"

Chad chewed some. "Seriously?"

"Swallow," said Sharpay. "Yes, seriously."

Chad scrutinized Kelsi. "Marry," he said.

Kelsi blushed. Mark said, "Aw." Sharpay decided to find Kelsi a boyfriend, if only to save herself from Mark's "aw."

"Sharpay," Kelsi said. "KMS Chad?"

"We've done him twice," Sharpay pointed out.

Ryan ignored the obvious joke.

Sharpay looked at Chad carefully and weighed her decision.

She said, "Kill."

----

Mrs. Darbus was putting them through trust exercises. Sharpay and Ryan spent time mirroring each other's movements.

It was pointless. "This is pointless," Ryan said.

"At least we don't have to _do_ anything."

"What's the gossip?" Ryan asked.

Sharpay said, "No one's dating the cheerleaders."

"Only two of them can think coherently," said Ryan.

Mark forced his partner to do the Heisman and said, "Be nice."

Ryan said, "But they're all pretty." Sharpay smiled.

"Oh," she said suddenly, as they patted their heads and rubbed their stomachs, "Amanda's coming for Thanksgiving."

"Really," Ryan asked. He grinned. "Oh, crazy Aunt Mandy," he said fondly.

Mark said, "You have a crazy aunt." He pronounced "aunt" like "ant."

"Everyone has a crazy aunt. Ours refuses to get married," said Ryan.

Sharpay explained, "She's been dating the same person for fifteen years. And she crochets clothes."

"I love her," Ryan sighed. "She's insane."

Mark laughed. He forced his partner to mime knitting. "What's this year's musical?" he asked.

"What's this year's musical?" Sharpay yelled at Kelsi.

"_Rent_," Kelsi yelled back.

Sharpay stared.

Kelsi smiled.

"It will most certainly not be _Rent_," said Mrs. Darbus. "Miss Evans, focus on what Mr. Evans is doing, please!" She fanned herself. Sharpay was slightly disappointed; she half-wanted to play Maureen.

Ryan asked, "What _will_ be this year's musical, then?"

"_The Wild Party_," Mark yelled.

"_Avenue Q_," Sharpay yelled.

"None of these!" Mrs. Darbus yelled. "It will be something of Miss Nielsen's creation, I believe."

"Please not _Twinkle Town_ again," Sharpay said.

Kelsi stared.

Sharpay smiled.

----

Sharpay sat between Troy and Ryan on the floor of the barn. There wasn't a party, but Gabriella wanted to learn how to tango, and Mark wanted to show off. Chad stood beside the pair and over exaggerated Mark's movements.

Troy asked, "Should I be worried that Mark Cohen is dancing with my girlfriend?" Sharpay looked over. Mark held Gabriella close, his hips swiveling in time to the tinny beat coming from Chad's speakers.

"No," she said.

"No?" he asked.

"_No_," Sharpay said. Ryan smiled. No one else knew about Ryan and Mark. At the same time, no one really knew about Sharpay and Chad, either, but it was never a relationship to begin with.

Ryan said, "So _are _you going to try out this year?"

Troy shrugged. "I kind of want to, but you know. It's my senior year. My dad's really counting on me."

"Uh huh."

Sharpay sighed and moved to get up. "I'm going to go talk to Chad," she said.

"It was fun," Troy was saying.

Sharpay held her hands out to Chad, who took them graciously. He asked, "Why are we holding hands?"

She shrugged, and let one go. "It's a theater thing."

"I don't see you feeling up Ryan." Sharpay looked at him. "Retracted."

"That was wretched," she said.

"Oh fuck you."

"Silver."

"Huh?"

Sharpay said, "Silver. My favorite color. Not pink. I like dark chocolate over milk. Deep dish vegetarian pizza. I have posters on my ceiling. My favorite singer is Regina Spektor, who is not on Broadway. I want to be on stage. I don't like pancakes."

Chad said, "Blue. I don't have a preference over chocolate. Brooklyn-style pizza. I have white popcorn things on my ceiling. My favorite singer...Ludacris. I want to make money."

Sharpay swung their hands. "Do you like pancakes?"

"I love pancakes."

Sharpay said, "That's it. We'll never work out."

----

* * *

Truth be told, I really don't like this chapter. Nothing happens. Which, of course, is a given, since nothing usually happens during a typical high school student's day, but STILL. Oh...Mark's last name is Cohen. I didn't even realize that I did that until now. So--unintentional _RENT _connection. I promise, the other months will be much longer. December could be a oneshot on its own. 

Stories to plug during my HSM2 induced hiatus:** Spotlight**, by Daire - It's 2nd person Ryan-centric, and it's pretty damn good.  
**Cardinal Directions**, by Samurai-Nashie - It's so in character I'm surprised Disney didn't try to salvage itself by using it.  
Anything by **S.H. Nina**, who came up with Chyan long before HSM2 even starting previewing.  
**Five Things That Sharpay Evans Hates**, by idio-cynic. I cheated and found it on LJ, but it's OH SO Sharpay, and then I found it on FFN and it made me even happier  
**Blondes**, by Brunette. Once again, spot-on Sharpay, and a very awesome Chad. Since Chad isn't my strong point, I admire that. It's a Chadpay angst, or at least, the beginning of it is.

If anyone has their own suggestions, feel free to leave it in your review! (Which means, please review!)


	5. December

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 5

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: Disney has possession of HSM, and I hope it stays that way._  
_

* * *

_December_

----

Sharpay's Blackberry rang. It rang for a long time until a manicured hand reached out and grasped it. Sharpay grumbled, "Hello?"

"Good morning, sunshine!" Chad.

Sharpay looked at the clock. It was nine. "It's nine," she said. "What time is it there, like...six?"

"We're about to go out on our morning run," Chad said, wide awake.

Sharpay said, "We."

"Yeah. Me, Troy, Jase, Zeke, Andy, some other guys. Well, we're running in thirty minutes, but I had to eat breakfast."

"Hold on," said Sharpay. She threw back the covers and got out of bed. Her foot got caught in the sheets, and she fell. Jen stirred. "Sorry," she said when she'd stood up again with the phone.

"You okay?"

Sharpay rubbed her eyes and felt gross. "I need to wash my face."

"Because I can see you from here."

"I need to wash my face."

"Can't you just say good morning?"

Sharpay scratched her nose and frowned. "I need to wash my face."

----

Jen's apartment wasn't the most spacious of places, but it was cheap, and it was in Manhattan. Sharpay came out of the bathroom. Jen asked, "Washed your face?"

Sharpay jumped. "What?"

"Who called?"

Sharpay remembered that she was in _Jen_'s room. "Chad."

"Chad," Jen said. "Oo."

"Shut up," Sharpay said.

Jen rolled over her side of the bed and touched her feet to the floor with much less stumbling. "Relax, little cousin," she said. "I'm a starving artist. I don't _care_."

"What are we doing today?" Sharpay asked.

"Lottery."

Sharpay paused. "Seriously?"

Jen said, "_Starving_ artist. Bundle up."

----

They stood shivering outside the Gershwin.

Ryan exhaled. "Jen, you shouldn't have," he said.

"Just because _your_ parents can pay in advance," Jen said.

Sharpay pulled Ryan to her in an awkward hug, too many layers of cold cloth between them. "Hey. This is how we'll live in a year," she said.

"Can't wait."

Jen rolled her eyes. She said, "_You'll _be in dorms."

"Can't wait."

"Can't we go see _Spring Awakening_?" Sharpay asked.

Jen said, "Not even _your_ parents would let me live."

A little man darted out of Oz. The crowd shifted, and several girls aged circa 10 started singing "Popular" in their excitement.

Sharpay, Ryan, and Jen were standing in line behind a particularly off-tune group.

Sharpay said, "Fantastic."

Jen grimaced. "I don't even like _Wicked_ that much."

Ryan said, "It's Julia Murney."

Jen said, "Well, yes."

Ryan said, "Julia Murney is amazing."

Jen said, "This is true. But now you're fangirling. It's a little bit scary."

Ryan smiled over Jen's head at Sharpay.

Sharpay took the cue and said, "Julia Murney is sex."

Ryan said, "She might turn me straight."

Sharpay said, "She might turn me gay." Ryan flapped his hand for her to go further. "I want to have Julia Murney's babies."

A few parents turned around and glared at her disapprovingly. Several turned to Jen, who was pegged unluckily as the person in authority. Sharpay hugged Ryan closer and gave the adults a thumbs-up and a shit-eating grin. Parents silently demanded an explanation.

Jen put up her hands and said, "Julia Murney's voice gives me multiple screaming orgasms."

----

Sharpay looked up from her cross-legged position on Jen's apartment floor. "I don't think this is very sanitary."

"I vacuumed."

"What's that?"

Jen stared.

Sharpay stuck out her tongue.

Jen said, "Bitch."

Ryan said, "Since we didn't get lottery tickets, cousin Jen, please tell me that you have something exciting planned for New Year's."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He's just being pissy." She turned to Ryan. "You know our parents sent us to Jen so we wouldn't want go to college here; it's not _supposed _to be fun."

"Yeah," said Jen. She paused. "Why is Ryan pissy?"

"Nothing," said Ryan. "I'm not pissy."

"He's pissy because Mark got mad that we weren't spending break in Neuva Mexico."

"Mark?"

"Shut up," Ryan said. They watched Jen go through several semi-contortionist poses.

Sharpay asked, "What _are_ we doing for New Year's?"

"Times Square," said Jen.

Sharpay squealed, "_Really_?"

"On TV," Jen said with a smile. "No, there's a party. A couple dancer friends of mine and some show cast. You're coming with."

Ryan stretched. "So why are you doing yoga, again? On your floor?"

"Can't do yoga on a bed," Jen said.

"Sure you could," Sharpay said.

Ryan smirked. "Good one, Glenn Coco," he told Sharpay. "You go Glenn Coco!"

Jen groaned, "I am stuck with high school kids who quote _Mean Girls_."

Ryan said, "Boo, you whore."

----

Sharpay hung up her phone and looked over at Ryan, who was studiously watching his ramen in the microwave. Jen had gone out earlier, probably get more ramen.

"That was Gabriella," she said.

Ryan, still looking at the microwave, asked, "How did she get your number?"

Sharpay scowled. "I don't know. It's sketchy."

He nodded. "Why did she call?"

"Some drama about Troy."

Ryan stopped paying attention to the Styrofoam cup. "What?"

"Some drama about Gabriella," Sharpay said.

Her brother turned around completely. "No..."

Sharpay couldn't tell if it was disbelief or distress. "Is that in disbelief or distress?"

"Both," he said frankly. Ryan looked back at his ramen, saw the water boiling, and opened the microwave door. "What happened?" he asked. He tried to pick up the cup and burned his fingers.

Sharpay said, "Careful there." Ryan plucked it out of the microwave, shut the door, and set it on the counter to cool. He sat down in the chair beside Sharpay at the kitchen table.

"Spill," he said. "Who what when where and how?"

"You forgot why."

Ryan waved his hand. "Irregardless."

"Irregardless isn't a word."

"Sharpay!"

Sharpay smirked. "Well, apparently, Troy was thinking—"

"Where?"

Sharpay frowned. "In Albuquerque?"

"The Boltons didn't go skiing?"

"Chad told me Troy was with him, and Chad's home, so—anyway. Troy was thinking—"

"Imagine," Ryan interjected.

"—I know. Anyway. Over the break, Troy started thinking about—them, I guess."

Ryan said, "Because there's so much to think about."

"—Ryan. Do you want to hear the story or not?" Ryan stopped the protest on his tongue. "That's what I thought. So, Troy was thinking about their woefully unfullfilled relationship over the break, and he called Gabriella just now, and he started talking about how he didn't think they were getting along, and he didn't think she was happy with him, and it's not her it's him, and, in essence, he dumped her."

Ryan stared. "That's it?"

Sharpay shrugged. "It's a lame excuse, I know. Gabriella called Taylor, first, but she was 'unavailable,' so—"

"She was probably studying," Ryan said. Sharpay snickered.

"Right, well, Taylor doesn't like basketball because it promotes cheerleader speak, remember? So, since our favorite math geek bitch wasn't there for Gabriella, she called—"

Jen opened the door with her eyes shut. She said, "I'm coming in. There better not be any naked people unless it's Taye Diggs."

"—who saw them canoodling at Chris Eisel's—"

"No more _Mean Girls_!"

Sharpay pouted. "Fine," she said.

"Sharpay!" said Ryan.

"The point is, Troy and Garbiella, over."

Jen started unpacking cups of ramen. Ryan remembered his food. Sharpay looked at her phone.

Ryan found a fork and stuck it in his noodles, sitting back down. He asked, "So why did Gabriella call you, again?"

"She didn't know what to do."

"And you would?"

"I know." Sharpay shuddered. "It was wretched."

"So what did you tell her?"

"That she should talk to Troy. Like, actually _talk _to him."

Ryan twirled his fork and ate some noodles. He said, "She's not going to talk to Troy."

"Of course not."

"Well, I can't say it's unexpected," Ryan said. He smiled, just a little. "Troy always seemed a little unhappy after he realized that Gabriella—"

"Hey, this is my apartment. Your parents are paying me to make sure you finish your college applications on time, not to listen to your teenage shit. Oy with the drama," Jen said and finished stacking her food.

Sharpay pointed out, "You're not Jewish."

----

Sharpay climbed into bed, her face washed, her teeth brushed, and her hair clean. It felt good. Jen sat on the floor with her planner open. Jen said, "Five more days with you two."

Sharpay said, "Isn't it the best job ever?"

Jen said, "I'd rather inject heroin into my eyeballs."

Sharpay said, "I have to call someone." Jen shrugged and flipped through her planner.

Sharpay dialed Chad's number. He picked up after three rings. Before anything like the word "hello" came out of his mouth, Sharpay asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

Sharpay growled. She said in a terribly calm voice, "Gabriella Happy Pills Montez called me today in incoherent _tears_, saying something about Troy and it's not her it's him and other really bad breakup lines, but why did I have to find out from _her_? And how did she get my number?"

Beat. "What?"

"Never mind, you missed it the first time." There was no point in being menacing if no one appreciated it.

"Right."

"How was your run this morning?"

"It was...a run."

Jen turned her back and pretended to make out with herself. Sharpay said, "Stop that."

Chad asked, "Stop what?"

"My cousin's being bitchy."

Jen said, "Pot kettle black!"

Sharpay smiled. She said, "Oh, Chad. I'm going to give you your Christmas present now."

"Christmas was three days ago."

"Yes. But—you didn't call me three days ago."

"That makes sense."

"Hey, do you want it or not?"

Chad said, "You're going to give me my Christmas present. Over the phone."

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Here it is: Yes, Chad Danforth, I will be your girlfriend."

Jen said, "Awww."

Sharpay flapped her hand. Chad said, "But I didn't ask you."

"That's my Christmas present to myself."

"Wow. I don't know what to say."

"Say 'Thank you.'"

"Thank you," Chad monotoned. "But what's the difference between now and before?"

Sharpay said, "Now you have to pay for me."

Chad said, "Oh. Thanks, Sharpay! It's what I always wanted."

"I know," she said. "That's what makes me such a great girlfriend. Good night, Chad."

"But it's only eleven o'clock."

Sharpay sighed. "Good_night_." She hung up.

Jen said, "I want to be the maid of honor."

----

* * *

Random? Yes. But Sharpay's parents are negligent, which means that occasionally, they go a little batshit insane. I love _Mean Girls_. Julia Murney is sex, I don't care what you say. Really, really good sex. She was in _The Wild Party_, which is my new obsession. And Jen--you know who you are. This chapter dedicated in part to Cee (**Single.Voice**), who inspired half this chapter just two days ago or something in a way that's too long to explain here. Thanks, Cee! 

January is getting written and edited right now. It's epic. It's almost as epic as February's going to be, and a three-month OC is going to be introduced, but as of now, not everything's in Word. So--be a little patient. I swear, I'll try to make it worth your while.

Please review!


	6. January

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 6

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: If I owned any musical, it would probably be, at this moment, it would probably be _Spamalot_. Or, y'know, _The Wild Party_, even though it's been canceled for over five years now. But I don't own them. so...I wouldn't own HSM, either._  
_

* * *

_January_

----

Sharpay and Ryan and Mark held vigil in the music room. Sharpay had sent Chad away; it was a theater thing, she had explained, in all seriousness. She hadn't smile at him. Even Mark wasn't being his flamboyant self. They sat on the raised stages, elbows on knees, waiting.

The fluorescent lights were off. Ryan checked his watch by the grey window. He said, "Why did we get here so early?"

"Because," Sharpay said, her face drawn.

"In theater, when you're on time, you're late," Mark finished.

"That, too."

Ryan said, "Oh."

Sharpay said, "You should've learned that by now."

Ryan blew out nervously and said, "Right. Sorry."

Sharpay shook her head and rested her chin in her hand.

The door rocked in its frame, and all three looked up anxiously. Nothing came through it.

Mark stood up, about to walk over. But he didn't. Ryan looked at him and pulled him down and laced their fingers together. Sharpay bit her lip.

"It's the main door," she said. No one confirmed or denied it. "Sometimes, when it opens, the classroom doors..."

They kept staring forward, Mark's fingers digging into Ryan's. Ryan assumed Sharpay's pose with his other hand. He said, "I feel like we should light a candle."

Sharpay said, "Sing Journey and we will."

Ryan started singing, "Just a small town girl." He had good pitch. Mark elbowed him into silence.

Sharpay waited for a few beats and then completed, "Living in a lonely world."

The door opened.

Kelsi walked in. "Oh god," she gasped, when she saw them. Sharpay, Ryan, and Mark stood quickly. "You scared me," said Kelsi.

"Darbus?" Sharpay demanded.

"Not here yet," Kelsi said.

"Darbus?"

"...has the callback sheet."

The bell didn't ring, but the scene ended.

----

The only reason Chad didn't lose Sharpay in the crowd was because her fingernails were digging into the back of his hand. She used her presence to clear a path down the hallway that closed immediately after her. He found himself dragged to the announcement poll.

There, pinned up in all its over-glittered, BeDazzled glory, hung the callback sheet.

"It probably took her longer to make the damn thing," Sharpay muttered, and elbowed her way up to it.

"Why am I here?" Chad asked.

"Because you're my boyfriend," she hissed.

"Then you can let go, I'm not going anywhere." Sharpay didn't relax.

"Callbacks for lead," she said. "Callbacks for Melody and Garrett—me and Ryan."

Chad looked at the sheet. "You and Ryan," he said.

"Me and Ryan."

On the single line beneath "Melody and Garrett" was printed "Sharpay Evans and Ryan Evans."

Sharpay's fingers squeezed harder. "Just me and Ryan," she said.

The bell rang.

----

Ryan, Mark and Kelsi were already sitting at the balcony table. Sharpay and Chad approached, peanut butter and something sandwiches on their trays. Mark raised his eyebrows.

"You're not eating with your team today?" he asked.

Chad shook his head. Sharpay looked down over at his usual table. "Oh," she said.

Chad nodded. He pursed his lips and looked with Sharpay.

"What?" asked Ryan.

"They're back together," Sharpay said.

"Who's back together?" Kelsi asked.

Mark looked over the edge and said, "Oh."

Ryan leaned over him. "Oh."

Kelsi tried to look, but was too far away and too short. She said, "Oh," anyway.

Sharpay unwrapped her sandwich. Ryan frowned and ducked down to let Kelsi see. He said, "They've only been broken up for two weeks!"

"Who?" Kelsi asked, still trying to find—"Oh. _Oh_."

Mark said, "Hey there, Gene Simmons!"

"Gross," said Sharpay and Chad together. Sharpay looked at Chad. "Please never do that again," she said.

"Hey," Mark said. "Hey, sad face." He snapped his fingers in Chad's face.

Chad blinked. "What."

"Why are you storming?"

Chad glared over the balcony again. "I spent three days telling him that it was a good idea."

Ryan smirked and said, "Denied."

Sharpay bit into her sandwich and chewed.

Kelsi muttered, "How bitchy."

"Bravo," said Ryan. "Kelsi, that might be the first bad thing you've said about Troy."

Sharpay saluted with the rest of her crust. "Amen."

Chad repeated, "Amen," and bit into his own sandwich.

"Bitch-tastic," said Mark.

They all nodded. Sharpay kept one eye on Troy and Gabriella trading mouth STD's and another on Chad's darkening mood.

"Just say it," she said.

"He was freaking out, okay?" Chad fumed. "He was seriously, like, unhappy because he didn't think he loved her, and I told him to make sure, to take a few days to think about it, and if he thought that he wasn't making her happy either, then he should go ahead and do it. Three days! He called me three days in a row, and we saw each other for twelve hours outside of that! And I almost had to hold his fucking hand when he called her! We're brothers, okay, I've known him since I was like 4, I had his fucking back, and I did all this so that two weeks later they can—can—"

Mark said, "By 'he,' he means Troy, right?" Ryan looked at him. "Just making sure..."

"I don't—" Chad started waving his hands around. Kelsi looked alarmed. Sharpay boredly reached out and steadied the hand holding the sandwich. "—_do_ phone calls!" Chad finished explosively.

"What a good friend," Sharpay said, without a trace of irony.

"Not even when we—" Chad caught himself. Sharpay raised an eyebrow. Mark made a bet with Ryan on how long Troy and Gabriella could go on without getting caught by a teacher. "I don't do phone calls," he said again.

Sharpay put down her food and patted his arm. It was an awkward pat, and she made a note never to do it again. She said, "It's okay, Chad. They're insensitive, gullible idiots, okay? It's okay. It'll be okay." Her voice dropped. "And if you behave, we can go get ice cream later."

Kelsi laughed. Sharpay smiled. Chad pretended not to hear the last part. Chad didn't hear the last part.

Chad said, "And he cut his fucking hair! Again! He fucking cut his fucking hair!"

Kelsi said, "Chad, that's a lot of exclamation points."

Sharpay said, "You have a vein in your forehead."

Ryan said, "Ha, they got busted by Kimble, you owe me five bucks."

Mark said, "Damn."

Chad said, "Long hair is our—our _thing_! It's so fucking symbolic I'm surprised I even saw the fucking symbolism!"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and said, "You're stupid, Chad." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I know that reeked of peanut butter, but you need it. You're being stupid about this."

Chad rubbed the spot where she kissed him.

He said, "He cut his fucking hair!"

----

Sharpay and Ryan hunched in their seats in the theatre. Mrs. Darbus was giving her long and winding speech to the other callback kids. Sharpay whispered with Ryan about the people getting the parts.

"I hate Gabriella," Sharpay whispered. "It's a good thing Troy didn't do anything until today; I couldn't _stand_ doing double callbacks with her."

"Yeah, but she's a good singer. You can't deny that."

Sharpay shrugged. "At least her part doesn't have to dance."

Mrs. Darbus flapped her hand at them to be quiet.

"You think she'll get it?" Sharpay looked at Ryan. "Retracted."

Sharpay looked at the stage. "Mark will be Sam."

"Mark's gonna be your daddy!" Ryan whispered with glee.

Mrs. Darbus flapped her hand again. Sharpay flicked her off when she turned back around.

"My _pimp_ daddy," Sharpay said.

"True," said Ryan. "I'm impressed with Nielsen."

"I know! Really, a musical with pimps and prostitutes and lesbians—"

"There are lesbians?"

Sharpay smiled. "Well. Not _explicit—_"

"If you're done disrespecting the shrine of music, art, and—and life," Mrs. Darbus said loudly. Sharpay dropped her smile. Mrs. Darbus continued, with exaggerated gestures and pointed fingers, "Now, Sharpay, Ryan, I _know_ that it's your senior year, and I _know_ that you don't have to do your callbacks, but could you _please_ be quiet for just a little while longer so we can winnow out the Philistines?" The clay beads of her necklace stopped clanking. Sharpay grabbed Ryan's hand before he could salute and quickly stood.

"Of course," she said. She smiled. "Mrs. Darbus, since we're not required here, could we use the music room to start—rehearsing?" She paused and bit her lip when Ryan dug his nails into the back of her hand. _You slacker_, he seemed to say.

Mrs. Darbus sputtered. "Surely, you'd want to stay and educate these—"

"Yes, but it's our senior year," Sharpay interrupted. "We'd like to make our own performances—extra special. For the audiences."

"Right—yes, of course, you do _so much_ for the drama department. Well—well, I'm sure Kelsi, I can carry on fine with casting the less important roles, and where's—there's Olivia. Olivia!"

Olivia, hair dyed red for this season and dressed in blacks, raised her head from behind the twins. She stood. She was short, thin, and slightly strange. "You want I should start blocking?" she asked. Sharpay suppressed a giggle.

"You're the stage manager this time?" Mrs. Darbus asked.

"That is correct. You want I should begin blocking scene with Miss Evans and Master Evans?" Olivia said. Sharpay turned quickly and smiled at Olivia, who smiled back.

"Go...stage manage with them. And you, Kelsi, make sure they do it according to _your _vision." Mrs. Darbus smiled horribly. "It's _your_ musical, after all."

The four of them ducked out.

Sharpay immediately let go of Ryan and hugged Olivia. "God, you're weird," she said.

Olivia grinned and said, "You can't _not_ mess with Darbus. Where've you been? I haven't seen you since we got back."

"Busy. The Troyella drama?"

Olivia groaned. "I'm so glad I'm just a techie in this whole high school soap opera."

Sharpay whirled on Ryan. "And _you_," she snapped.

"Me," Ryan said, nonplussed.

"Don't pretend you weren't dying in there, too."

"Me? I was just—well, I was just talking about how impressed I was with Kelsi, that's all!" Ryan pulled Kelsi in between him and Sharpay and beamed at her. "We're so proud!"

"We are!" said Sharpay.

"We are?" asked Olivia.

"We _are_," confirmed Ryan. Kelsi looked bewildered. "How could you hide it from us?"

"Hide...what from who?"

Ryan wagged his finger. "Yooouuuu wrote a musical. About love. And you managed to fool Darbus into letting us do it." Sharpay was convinced he acted more like Mark every day.

"Well, yeah." Kelsi started to smile.

"And it's got pimps and drug dealers in it."

"It's real stuff," Kelsi said.

"And prostitutes."

"I mean—it's stuff that'll actually happen!" Kelsi said, affirming her work.

"And," Sharpay said with great fanfare, "it's got lesbians!"

"It's—what?" Kelsi stopped short. "I have lesbians in my musical?"

Sharpay winked at her.

Olivia snorted. "Don't terrorize the writer, Sharpay," she said. She turned down the hall to the music room.

"I'm not terrorizing her," Sharpay said, walking in behind Olivia and leaving Ryan to hold the door for Kelsi.

"Does anyone else think I have lesbians in my musical?" Kelsi asked, now slightly uneasy.

Sharpay sat down on the raised stage and spread her skirt around her.

Olivia said, "Well, Jordan's entire big number is basically a love song for Melody—"

"—that's me!" Sharpay said.

"No it's not!" Kelsi said.

Sharpay scoffed. "I do believe I got the role of Melody, Nielsen." Ryan rolled his eyes at her. She rolled them back.

Kelsi said, "That's not what the song is about! It's a song about jealousy! She's jealous because Melody and Garrett—"

"—that's me!" Ryan said.

"—are together! And she doesn't have anyone!" Kelsi finished.

"Yeah," said Olivia, "but it never says who she's jealous _of_. I mean, there's a whole verse on Melody's—assets."

"Tits and ass," Sharpay sang via _A Chorus Line_.

Olivia said, in a reassuring voice, "In very tasteful metaphors."

"Not everyone in theater is gay!" Kelsi said.

"_Some_ people are," Sharpay said.

"Sharpay, stop terrorizing the writer."

"I'm not terrorizing her!"

Ryan said, "Leave it. I'm sure Gabriella will play it straight. It's the only way she knows."

"But as for _you_," Sharpay said, looking at Kelsi. She smirked.

Olivia sighed. "Fine. Okay. We'll start with Jordan's number, then, because you two—" she pointed at Sharpay and Ryan "—are supposed to be acting in love and shit while she reacts to it. It's the most vague part of the whole script. We might have like a light post or something, so while you're on the street corner doing whatever, make sure you don't run into it."

Ryan pulled Sharpay up and wrapped his arms around her. She giggled.

"Keep it PG," Olivia said.

Ryan said, "She's my sister."

"Mm," said Sharpay.

Olivia began reading Jordan's song in a monotone. She didn't waver over the tasteful metaphors. Sharpay played them up. Ryan enhanced them. Kelsi swallowed.

Sharpay looked over. "Still think there aren't any lesbians?" she asked.

"Stop terrorizing her!" Olivia said.

"I'm not!"

"Stop—flirting with her!"

Sharpay pouted.

"Fine."

Kelsi gulped.

----

"Yeah. Well—look, can you come over tonight?" Sharpay popped the knuckles of her left hand and gripped the her phone between her ear and shoulder. "Well, I had rehearsal, so— is your mom home then? Chad—Chad, you're being stupid about this. My parents aren't here. Yeah. Yeah, I swear. Okay, see you then. Love you, Chad."

She hung up and reached out for the bunch of grapes in the middle of her table. "Ryan!" she said. Ryan looked over from the other table in the dining room. She inspected their distance. "I always thought three dining room tables were excessive."

"I told mom that," said Ryan with resignation.

"I told dad that," said Sharpay with resignation.

They stared at each other. "Was that Chad?" Ryan finally asked.

"Yeah," Sharpay said.

Ryan asked, "Did you tell him about Kelsi?"

Sharpay frowned. "What about Kelsi?"

"Is _she_ your backstage affair this year?"

"Ryan. You. Blunt."

"Is she?"

"Maybe."

"Yes."

"Yes." Sharpay raised her eyebrows. "You and Mark," she said.

"Well, we're not dating."

Sharpay said, "Other people?"

Ryan smirked and said, "Cute. And—anyone."

Sharpay said, "Well, you're already scandalous enough as it is."

Ryan wandered over to her table.

Sharpay said, "What are you doing over here?"

Ryan said, "You have grapes," and plucked a few. He asked, "Does Chad know about backstage affairs?"

Sharpay looked at him. "It's a theater thing," she said, when he failed to respond.

"Yeah," Ryan said. He fidgeted.

Sharpay bit her lip.

She said, "I'm letting him have his own affair."

Ryan frowned. "Was he planning on having one?"

Sharpay rubbed the spot she bit.

She said, "He's coming over tonight. And—and he will."

Ryan almost choked on his grape. "With _Gabriella_?"

Sharpay snapped her fingers at him. "_You_ of all people should know."

Ryan contemplated the words. "Seriously?"

Sharpay almost put her head on the table, but not because of Ryan.

She sighed, "Seriously."

----

* * *

Oh, snap. So, those of you in the know: yes, a deliberate nod to "Hairspray," although I also deliberately reference "IHOP," and didn't acknowledge that. sorry. Oh, I lied, Olivia's only around until February, because she's the stage manager, but she makes an appearance in March, I think. I'll have to check that. And: Where do I come up with my musical premises? I have no idea. but they're wildly unrealistic, and I apologize for that. 

One more thing: I know, there's a lot of people talking in blocks. And there's more of it in February. But just bear with me, and realize that Olivia talks a _lot_.

Okay. Review!


	7. February

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 7

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: Disney and all its conglomerate minion companies have their claws all over HSM. I can't even begin to touch it.

Warning: Dorky theater talk ahead. It's not very cumbersome, but in case you're feeling lost, you can skip the technical stuff...

* * *

_February_

----

Sharpay, Ryan, Gabriella, Mark, and Olivia paced around onstage.

Sharpay looked like a hooker. So did Gabriella. Ryan was dressed in torn art bum clothing. Mark twirled his pimp hat. Kelsi sat by her piano, yawning. It was seven in the morning. Everyone but Olivia and Kelsi had on stage makeup.

Olivia toed a piece of fading yellow spike tape. "Scrim line," she said. "Montez. Don't be past this line when you finish singing. Because the silhouette scene is right after your number, and we don't want to catch you in front of the scrim." Gabriella nodded. "Opening night is tomorrow; what_ever _you do, do not get caught in front of a scene."

Sharpay looked impatient.

Ryan smothered his second yawn.

Olivia said, "Okay, so we're out of class today—" Gabriella raised her hand. "—no exceptions. And we need to get our big numbers worked out. Choreography tightened, characters figured out, prop arranged, costume changes timed, come on babe we're gonna paint the town all that jazz." She flicked her hair out of her face. "So. Run-through once or twice. Ensemble comes out, does their Greek tragedy prologue thing—"

"—Shakespeare does it in _Romeo and Juliet_!" Kelsi said.

"—still tragic," said Olivia. "Ensemble goes back, scene opens on street corner..." She trailed off as Ryan pushed a street sign in from stage left and Mark pushed on the set backdrop and they both set up lampposts in the background. "I love the art kids," Olivia said, admiring the downtown scene. "Anyway. Enter Melody and Jordan from backstage center."

Gabriella looked at Sharpay. "Go backstage and enter!" said Olivia, her hair drifting back into her face.

They did so. Olivia flicked her hair out of her face.

"All right. Fuck, why is Darbus taking a personal health day—"

"She's _old_," Sharpay said.

"If the cast is done interrupting God?!" Olivia said.

"Who's God?" Mark asked. Olivia looked at him. "Retracted."

"Thank you, Cohen." She turned to Kelsi. Kelsi stopped yawning. "Something keeping you up, Nielsen?"

Sharpay winked at Kelsi from behind Olivia. Kelsi stiffened. "Nothing," she said. "Can we get started?"

"Yeah. Enter Melody and Jordan. Begin 'Friday Night'..." Kelsi poised her fingers over the piano. Her fingers were tapered, thin, pale, light. Sharpay held her breath waiting for them to lower. Olivia whispered, "Now."

The music started.

The song started.

The show started.

----

Sharpay stood fanning herself under the spotlight. Olivia sighed. Sharpay felt like demanding a bottle of water. Ryan scratched his head with his free hand, his other one in Sharpay's right hand. Garrett had just propositioned Melody and discovered the music in their souls or something like that. Two hours: homeroom, honors English, economics, and too much of Olivia's fast talking had gone by.

Gabriella and Mark stood to the side. Sam was explaining to Jordan the finer points of prostitution and why Melody was a better streetwalker, the least of which was because "Jordan" was not, and never would be, a good stripper name.

Olivia said, "Intermission. Take fifteen, guys."

Sharpay said, "Oh!" and wandered backstage for water.

Gabriella followed her.

Gabriella asked, "Why didn't we do this last year?"

Sharpay found a half-pint of Disani and twisted the cap off. She said, "Because this isn't _Twinkle Town._"

"Well, yeah."

Sharpay swallowed. Gabriella waited for her to say more. Sharpay waited for another question.

Mark asked, "We got any snacks?"

Ryan said, "Raid Olivia's stash, she's got a thing of Jolly Ranchers somewhere." He patted Sharpay's shoulder consolingly as he went past.

Sharpay said, "That's the reason." Gabriella looked confused. Sharpay said, "I'm not being a diva, Montez." She wandered away to find Olivia's Jolly Ranchers.

Kelsi walked up to Gabriella and looked after the three drama kids. "They're freaking addicted," she said.

Gabriella said, "To the spotlight?"

Kelsi said, "To sugar." She looked at Gabriella's face. She said, "That really is the reason. And only Sharpay can do that sneer."

"Does she own that, too?" Gabriella muttered.

Kelsi frowned. "You just don't do it right."

"I found Jolly Ranchers!" Ryan said. He shook a bag that crinkled.

"You found Jolly Ranchers!" Sharpay said.

"Jolly Ranchers!" Mark said.

"You guys had better not be eating my Jolly Ranchers!" Olivia said. She stalked backstage. "Drop it, Evans."

Sharpay dropped her water bottle. She smirked at Olivia. "You didn't specify which one." Ryan unwrapped the rubber band from the bag.

Mark yelled, "Watermelon, I want watermelon!"

"Get the fuck out of my Jolly Ranchers!"

Kelsi looked at Gabriella and shrugged. "There's too much punctuation back here. You stay with drama kids too long, you'll start throwing cups at walls and yelling 'OPAH!'" She paused. "Damn it."

Jolly Ranchers showered over Gabriella. Kelsi stepped tactfully away.

"It's a festival," Mark said. "Your favorite flavor is in there _some_where."

Olivia said, "Okay, candy mountain is closed, get back to the house, we got stuff to do." Gabriella, Mark and Ryan followed Olivia back onstage.

Sharpay shoved a handful into her purse. She kept one in her hand. With her eyes on Kelsi, she stuck one end between her teeth, unwrapped it, and slowly let her tongue capture the hard candy.

Olivia poked her head back around the curtain. She said, "Sharpay, stop flirting with the writer and get—the—fuck—on—stage."

The bell rang.

Olivia flicked her hair out of her face.

"Get out here!"

----

Sharpay felt like she'd sweated all her makeup off. She pushed her hair back in a ponytail, pulled on some sweatpants, and headed out the door for lunch. Ryan, Kelsi, Mark and Gabriella followed her. "Olivia, you coming?"

Olivia said, "I don't yell 'OPAH!'"

"You're missing out."

They took their usual seats on the balcony. Gabriella was painfully awkward. Chad came up to greet them. He brought Troy along.

"Hey Sharpay," Chad said. "How's rehearsal?"

Sharpay closed her eyes, opened them, and fluttered them closed again. "Death," she said, by way of explanation.

Troy hugged Gabriella and kissed her quickly.

Ryan said, "Thanks for the coffee this morning, Chad."

Chad shrugged and said, "No problem. You guys owe me, though."

Ryan waved his hand. "We'll make it up for you." Mark handed him a packet of Caesar dressing. "You weakling," said Ryan, and tore it.

Gabriella asked, "Are you coming to opening night tomorrow?"

Troy looked disappointed. He said, "Uh. Oh—god, Gabi, I know it's a big deal for you, but—my dad got tickets to the U of A game tomorrow, and he went to a _lot_ of trouble to get them..."

Gabriella nodded. "It's okay. Yeah—yeah, that's fine. You, Chad?"

Chad twisted his lip and said, "I'm going with Troy. Sorry guys, I really am. Sorry Sharpay."

"You'll be missing pimps," Mark said. He poured the dressing over his salad.

"And prostitutes," Ryan said.

"And lesbians," Sharpay said.

"There are lesbians?" Gabriella said.

"There are no lesbians!" said Kelsi.

"Are there?" said Gabriella.

"No," Chad said, quickly. He already knew the story. "Sharpay, it's very tempting, but—"

"I know," Sharpay said. "It's a U of A game. Have fun."

Chad leaned down and kissed her. He said, "Valentine's Day, next week. You, me, an Italian restaurant, a greasy dude playing the violin and a fat lady singing." Sharpay pretended to swoon. He smiled. "Love you, Sharpay."

Sharpay said, "Don't you forget." She waved them off.

Mark watched them go. He said, "There isn't one really, is there?"

"There isn't one what?" Gabriella asked.

Kelsi stomped on Mark's foot. Mark said, "A real needle. For when Sharpay shoots up." Sharpay cleared her throat. "For when Melody shoots up."

"I doubt it," Gabriella said.

She explained why it would be a bad idea.

Ryan didn't bother stifling his yawn.

When Gabriella wasn't looking, Sharpay shook her head at Mark. He looked confused. Kelsi leaned over and mouthed "no" in his ear.

Mark looked confused.

Sharpay made a circle with her left hand, thumb to the nonopposable fingers. She pointed at Mark with her right hand. She shoved her right index finger through the circle. "Money shot," she mouthed.

Mark looked surprised. He mouthed, "Really?"

Sharpay nodded smugly. She put a finger to her lips.

Mark mimed zipping his own.

Ryan said, "It's okay, Gabriella, they're _not_ using a real hypodermic whatever."

----

Olivia sat cross-legged onstage. She'd finally found a rubber band and tied her hair back. "Okay," she said. "We've done two run-throughs, and it's finally working out. Get the curtain call right this time, and we only have to rehearse once this afternoon, and you won't have to sing. Okay?"

Ryan nodded slowly.

"All right," said Olivia. She cued Kelsi. "Okay. Tragic Greek ensemble—"

"They're not Greek," said Kelsi.

"—God is talking!" said Olivia. "Okay. We all know the curtain call dance. After that: Ensemble comes out, bows. Our two-bit whores come out, bow. Our street bum artists come out, bow. Then Jordan and Sam, do your bows. Then Ryan bows individual, then Sharpay, your bow, then all four of you back to the center, clasp hands, _pretend_ that the last four weeks haven't been bloody hell, smile for the audience, and bow. Acknowledge the orchestra, acknowledge Darbus who isn't here, acknowledge Kelsi, acknowledge the fucking stage crew, acknowledge God, bow one more time, the end."

Kelsi started finishing the curtain call dance. Olivia raised two fingers. Kelsi ended the dance. Olivia's fingers dropped.

"Ensemble bows." Imaginary people bowed. "Two-bit whores. Street bum artists. Jordan and Sam. Ry—Garrett. Melody. Okay, bow together. Company bow. Orchestra." The four reached out to the empty stage pit. "Director." The absent Mrs. Darbus. "Writer." Kelsi. "Stage crew." Backstage. "God." Olivia. "And last bow. Disperse in a _civilized_ manner. Yay."

Everyone clapped. Ryan cheered. Sharpay smiled, reached out for Gabriella, and exchanged theater kisses. Mark ran off stage and picked Kelsi up. He brought her back onstage and deposited her in the middle of the pack. They had a group hug.

Olivia broke away and said, "Any questions?"

Gabriella raised her hand.

Mark said, "You don't have to raise your hand."

Gabriella said, "This doesn't have a happy ending."

Sharpay palmed her face and wiped the sweat from her eyes.

Mark said, "That's not a question," and had anyone else said that, Gabriella would have probably tried to sneer.

Instead, Gabriella asked, "Why isn't it a happy ending?"

Kelsi said, "It's...not a happy musical. I mean, the people are happy, but they don't live in a...a happy place."

"But—"

Kelsi was on a roll. She said over Gabriella, "I mean—well, Melody's pimp constantly owes people money, okay, and her best friend dies at the end right when we thought it was going to be okay, and I mean—I mean, it's a story. But if we ended it right before Jordan's death, okay, then it is happy, and if we ended it with Melody having a baby, then that's happy, it's just—where _this_ story ends, okay, and all they have right then are each other, and that's what's important."

Sharpay watched Kelsi. Ryan looked at Mark with concern. Gabriella paid attention.

"They—They're together," Kelsi said. "Even after all this, they're together. And that's all that matters to them. And—and that's what should matter to us—to them."

"Amen," said Mark. "Viva La Vie Boheme."

"Oh please no," said Ryan. "I can't sing your character right now."

Olivia flicked her bangs out of her face. "Thank you, Nielsen. Any other questions? Comments? Concerns?" Before anyone could move, she said, "Good. Go home now. Eat. Sleep. _No_ milk, understand? Tea, fine. Coffee, _black_. Sleep _well_. Don't forget what we worked on today. Break a leg. I'll respike the stage today when you guys leave. Get a good night's sleep. I'll see you again in a few hours."

They went backstage to change and clean up as much as possible.

Gabriella left first.

Then Mark and Ryan.

Then Sharpay and Kelsi.

Olivia started respiking the stage.

----

"I thought Olivia said we were supposed to get a good night's sleep," Kelsi said. Kelsi's hair was down, and it wasn't curled.

Sharpay said something. Her voice was muffled.

"What?" said Kelsi.

"Idssssst mfftr wh livia shhnnhhs."

"What?"

Sharpay raised her head. "It doesn't matter what Olivia says, and Nielsen, I am trying to take your bra off with my mouth, _must_ you make conversation about our stage manager?"

"But she's God," Kelsi said.

Sharpay said, "Now you decide to grow a wit." She slowly licked her way down Kelsi's chest to said bra and snapped her teeth.

Kelsi shuddered.

She said, "Why isn't Chad coming tomorrow?"

Sharpay sighed. "_You_ don't need a cockblocker." She rested her head under Kelsi's chin. "Now that you've effectively killed the small vestige of sexuality I had left, what was your question?"

Kelsi almost brought her hand up to stroke Sharpay's hair, but Sharpay's own fingers were circling Kelsi's ear, so the writer decided to just lie there. Kelsi asked, "Chad?"

"Oh," Sharpay said. "Well, he said. He's going to be with Troy."

Kelsi said, "I thought Chad was mad at Troy."

Sharpay said, "He was. He is. He—it's complicated."

Kelsi asked, "More complicated than us?"

Sharpay said, "You haven't slept with Gabriella, have you?"

Kelsi shook her head.

"Then, yes. Much more complicated."

"But you're—okay with this?"

Sharpay turned her face to Kelsi's collarbone, the dip between that and her shoulder, and inhaled. She said, "You would ask tonight." She said, "I'm with you. We're together, and that's what matters, isn't it?"

Kelsi said, "You can't use my words." Kelsi moved her hand, but not to Sharpay's hair, and Sharpay tightened her arms around the body beneath her.

Sharpay said, "I use your words all the time."

Kelsi said, "I'm your backstage affair this year."

"Yes," Sharpay said, and hesitated. She didn't know what to say after that.

"So you're letting Chad have his own—locker room affair."

"That is a terrible joke," Sharpay whispered. She said, louder, "Well, I know he's coming back."

Kelsi said, "Must be love."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "It's a funny story."

"About what?"

"Redemption."

"Us or them?"

"Them, of course."

"Then what's ours about?"

Sharpay breathed some more. "Discretion," she finally said.

She heard Kelsi sigh. "That's a good one," Kelsi said, and Sharpay felt the vibration of her voice through her ribs.

"A good lie or a good story?"

"Both."

Sharpay raised her head and looked at Kelsi, moving up so they were nose to nose. She looked carefully at Kelsi. Sharpay said, "You're Jordan."

Kelsi stuttered. "What?"

"In _Red Light_. You're Jordan. You wrote Melody for me, and then you put yourself in Jordan."

Kelsi whispered, "Not every piece of work is autobiographical."

"Well, you're not _dead._" Sharpay hovered over Kelsi's lips. "But. Jordan's in love with Melody."

"I'm not a lesbian," Kelsi whispered.

"I know," said Sharpay. "Neither am I. But you know the line."

"I do?"

Sharpay nodded, her nose bumping against Kelsi's. "People," she said. She didn't sing it like Barbara Streisand, because that wasn't what she meant.

"Oh," said Kelsi. She _had_ known.

"You shouldn't love someone who loves someone else," Sharpay said.

Kelsi closed her eyes and said, "I know."

They breathed a litle bit of each other's air. Sharpay's eyes flickered to the lamp, to the headboard, to every individual eyelash curling away from Kelsi's face.

There were five days of performances, and the backstage affairs would end. Sharpay was in love with Chad. Kelsi was in love with Sharpay.

Sharpay braced her elbows above Kelsi's shoulders on her bed. Her hair fell around their faces. Kelsi blinked as some of it dropped on her forehead. Sharpay looked straight down into Kelsi's eyes.

She said, "I'm sorry."

She lowered her mouth.

----

* * *

**Edit/Explanation**: I'm sorry this took so long to put up. I got in a car wreck, and the ensuing angry mother has taken up most of my time/energy. I'm okay! I am, no one got hurt, but my license is gone and I basically have no freedom, and my crackpot mother is making up theories as to how I got hit, none of which are even plausible. So. I don't have a March yet, but I'll try! Back to the normal AN. 

Well, hopefully, my fake musical has been made somewhat clearer. Dedication to **Stessa**, because--I don't know. I just know I finally found the perfect way to end this chapter after reading her fics. And I love the ending. I know, it's more Kelpay than anything, but that's not the real ending! I promised Chadpay. The line is "I fall in love with people." "OPAH" was just a govschool drama thing, but it was still pretty bizarre and very dramakid-ish. I'm just a stage manager.

Review!


	8. March

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 8

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: Oh hells no, not when my best friend can't perform in _Tartuffe_ just because she has to be a counselor at Heart Camp and sing HSM2 with little kids...

* * *

_March_

----

It was three minutes and an angry Zeus from a thunderstorm over East High, but the general student body didn't know this. They were too busy celebrating their second basketball state championship. They (the basketball team) won last week.

They (the plebeians) carried the party over the weekend and well into Monday.

Sharpay rubbed her fingers together, trying to get through the crowd. It felt sticky. She said, "It feels sticky. I wish it would rain."

Ryan flexed his arms inside his windbreaker. "Yeah." He looked over the heads of the people in front of him. "Where's Chad?"

"Being overwhelmed," said Sharpay.

"Ew," said Ryan. He looked wildly from side to side. "Where's my coffee?"

"Being overwhelmed," said Sharpay.

"Wretched."

Sharpay said, "It's what he loves most," without any irony, but without any truth, either. She hadn't decided if she was mad at him, or, if she was, what she was mad at him about.

Ryan said, "I need my coffee."

Sharpay looked at him and chose not to call him out on being spoiled. "The straw hat was a bad idea."

Ryan took his hat off and sniffed the top. It was starting to mildew. "Damn," he said. "I like this one."

"You like all of them."

"Yes, so I like this one, too."

Sharpay shrugged. "Where's Mark?"

"Sulking," Ryan muttered.

"That doesn't suit him." Ryan nodded in an "I know" way. Sharpay changed the subject. "I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out over break."

Ryan said, "Yeah."

Sharpay said, "I'm going to be hopped up on drugs."

Ryan said, "Just like any other weekend."

Sharpay shoved him. He smiled.

The bell rang.

----

Chad plopped down behind Sharpay in homeroom. Mrs. Darbus started talking about prom. Or something; prom was in May, so neither of them listened. The voice was a good cover for their own conversation, anyway.

Chad said, "I didn't see you at the game."

Sharpay studied her nails closely. "I need to push my cuticles back," she said to herself.

"Sharpay."

"I wasn't there," she said. "If you don't see me, I'm probably not there." She looked up and frowned at his face.

"Okay." Rain started falling heavily on the roof of the school. The lights inside the class room seemed starker. It made her happy, but Senioritis wasn't being very nice.

"God—I'm just exhausted, Chad." Sharpay stopped in her pseudo-apology.

Gabriella was playing with Troy's fingers. She was giggling. Troy said something and smiled.

Sharpay caught the words "together now" and "when Darbus stops talking," which made Gabriella giggle even harder. She rolled her eyes. Thunder clapped.

Chad asked, "How was the party?"

"What party?"

"Oh. Right, I didn't see you, there, either." He sounded angry. Or maybe just irritated.

Sharpay squinted at his tired eyes. She said, "Headache?"

Chad shrugged.

Sharpay said, "Any particular reason you were drinking so much last night?"

Gabriella opened her mouth. Her voice was high, even for her. Lightning flashed. Thunder clapped again. Chad cringed.

Sharpay looked at the Golden couple and asked herself, again, why she lived. Ryan glanced at her sympathetically from across the room, where Mark wasn't talking to him. Sharpay said, "Troy."

Chad rubbed his eyes and looked at her profile. He said, "Kelsi."

Sharpay smiled sadly. "It's okay, you know."

"I know." Chad said, "God, we've changed." He didn't mean that Sharpay had melted or that he had gotten less arrogant.

"But I'm back now. Rejoice."

Chad said, "We're both back."

Sharpay waved her hand in his general direction. He caught it, and held her fingers between his palms. "If you kiss them," Sharpay said, "I will slap you."

Chad grinned through his hangover. "I've missed you, Sharpay."

"I love you, too."

"Mr. Danforth, Miss Evans." Mrs. Darbus interrupted herself. "Would you like to share anything with the class?" Thunder clapped for the third time.

Sharpay look at Chad and winked.

She yanked her hand away and yelled, "You knocked me up, Danforth!"

Gabriella gasped. Troy stared.

Mrs. Darbus said, "Miss Evans!"

Chad laughed.

----

No one went off campus, not because the storm was bad, but because Sharpay didn't feel being wet through afternoon classes. Ryan stirred his macaroni listlessly. He supported his head in his left palm and stirred his macaroni.

Sharpay was sure that macaroni wasn't supposed to be that runny. "I'm sure macaroni's not supposed to be that runny," she said.

Ryan shrugged.

Chad came to eat with them, handing Sharpay a baked potato and sitting down excitedly with his two cheeseburgers. He opened a mustard packet and started decorating his lunch.

Mark looked over. For some reason, he was still with them, even though something was up between him and Ryan. He raised his eyebrows at Kelsi.

Kelsi raised her eyebrows back. She said, "Um, Chad?"

Chad paused mid-bite. "Hnn?"

She raised her fist and said, "What team?" in a passable imitation of him.

Sharpay stared fixedly down at her baked potato, mixing in the butter. She tried not to laugh.

Chad bit down and chewed. He frowned quizzically at Kelsi.

Kelsi said, "Why aren't you with your brothers? And where's your surgically attached basketball?"

Mark winced. He said, "Outspoken much?"

Chad swallowed. "No, it's okay," he said. "It's—good question, Kelsi."

Ryan slowed his movements. He said, "Yeah, _man_. I thought you didn't like us dancer types."

Sharpay snorted. "Stop being stupid, Ryan."

Chad said, "You know what? People change." The four sat and waited for the rest of the revelation. Chad looked at their expectant faces. "Oh. I mean. Troy's—I think we grew up."

"Uh huh," said Mark.

"You're not even 20, Chad," Sharpay pointed out.

"I meant—I think we're growing apart. Like—like brothers, you know?"

Sharpay said, "I think we're all getting cabin fever." They all looked at her. She waved her fork. "Oh my god, is the storm going to you heads? It's Senioritis, bitches! We're all getting sick of each other because we know there's only two more months; it's _okay_ for us to be mean now!"

No one moved. Sharpay slumped back into her seat. There wasn't a point in being histrionic if everyone was just going to sit there. She said, "Ryan, are you going to eat that?"

Ryan started. He looked down at his congealing macaroni. "No," he said.

Kelsi said, "Everyone's so moody today."

Mark choked on his Coke. Kelsi looked at him. He said, "Nothing."

"I think he said something about a pot," Sharpay muttered.

"Was there a kettle?" Chad asked.

----

Chad grumbled as he opened another empty cardboard box. "How is it that I got detention because _you_ said you got knocked up?" he asked Sharpay, who was folding costumes for the cardboard boxes.

She said, "And _this_ isn't detention for me?"

Chad laid some shredded t-shirts haphazardly in the box. "You signed up for this," he said.

"_Drama_. I signed up for _drama_."

Chad shrugged.

Sharpay asked, "Are you one of us now?" Chad looked at his hands, currently holding leather pants and not a basketball.

He said, "I don't think I'm anyone."

Sharpay patted his hair. "Poor you. And with two months left."

"Yeah. Yeah, well, they're still my brothers, we'll still hang and stuff."

"Sounds promising."

"Oh, fuck you." Chad looked over at the end of the stage, where Mrs. Darbus, Kelsi, and Olivia converged. "Nielsen seems to be taking it well."

"Well, I'm not entirely parasitic," Sharpay retorted. She held up a red dress that was overrun with sequins. "Who would ever _make_ this?"

"What are they talking about?" Chad asked.

"First, it's ghastly, and second, it's itchy, and third, it's _wretched_."

"Sharpay."

"What Darbus is going to do next year without us." Sharpay folded the dress and handed it to Chad for him to bury in the box and never release.

Chad shoved the dress beneath the leather pants. He said, "What is Darbus going to do?"

"I don't know. Die, probably."

Ryan and Mark stacked wooden benches and carried them to the back of the props room. They walked past Sharpay and Chad in a sullen silence.

Chad asked, "What happened with them?"

Sharpay turned to look at them and shrugged. "Do you really care?"

"He's your brother."

"Chad."

"It just seems a little awkward."

Sharpay sighed. "It's a lot awkward. But I really don't care why."

"Of course." Chad smiled.

Sharpay returned the smile, and said, "I think we're all just tired. I'm tired, at least."

"You, tired?"

"If you mention the word 'ice,' I will kill you."

"Miss Evans, Mr. Danforth! Are you done fraternizing over there?" Mrs. Darbus asked, having figured out exactly how she would cope next year.

Chad yelled, "Almost."

Sharpay laughed. "I think it's about to hit," she said.

"The fan?"

"For some of us, at least."

Chad threw the last of the worn down leggings into the box and closed the flaps. He asked, "You busy tonight?"

"I need to buy lipgloss," Sharpay said.

"Get strawberry."

"I think I'll get coffee," said Sharpay.

"I hate the taste of coffee."

Sharpay made a note to never inform him that they didn't make coffee lipgloss. "What did you have in mind?"

Chad looked around and caught Mrs. Darbus glaring at them. He said, "Fraternizing."

Olivia came by to pick up the box. She said, "Keep it PG."

"He's my boyfriend."

Olivia shrugged. "Don't get knocked up."

Chad stretched. He popped his neck and looked down at Sharpay. He said, "I never meant to hurt you."

Sharpay twisted her lip. "I know," she said. "Me, too." She forgot to deny that he'd hurt her at all, and when she did remember, it was too late to make it plausible. She reached up and pulled his head down until they were nose to nose.

"What?" he asked, when they didn't kiss.

Sharpay looked crossed eyed at his lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Just remember that, because I'm not going to say it again."

Chad swallowed. Chad said, "If we were sorry, we wouldn't be sorry to each other." He said, "We'd be sorry to them."

"The morality of our apologies doesn't need to be debated," Sharpay said.

Her breath felt like coffee, but she wasn't sure if he could taste it, and didn't care either way.

----

Ryan lifted the lid of the blender and looked gingerly inside. Watermelon mush and a smell of strawberry swirled. He found a blue plastic cup and scooped the smoothie into it.

He was about to unwrap a bendy straw when the doorbell rang.

Leaving the smoothie on the counter, Ryan walked to the front door. Chad and Kelsi and Gabriella and Troy stood sunnily on the deck. He smiled at the first two and looked indifferently at the others. Chad shifted on his feet.

"Um," he said.

Gabriella leaned in and said in a worried voice, "I heard Sharpay got her wisdom teeth out. We just came to see her." From her position by Troy, she meant, "we the Golden Couple," but Ryan had stopped looking at her when she opened her mouth and turned to Chad instead.

Chad said, "Um."

Kelsi said, "I was with Gabriella." She nudged Chad.

Chad said, "I was with Troy. We were all together, I mean. Me and Troy were playing ball, and the women were doing...whatever."

Troy said, "And then Kelsi remembered that Sharpay was getting her wisdom teeth out, and Chad wanted to come see her, and we were all in Gabriella's car..."

Gabriella grimaced. She corrected, for Troy, "Of course, the rest of we wanted to see her, too."

Ryan wanted to watch her trainwreck explanation continue, but he had Sharpay's smoothie on the counter and she was hungry. He cut Gabriella off with a, "Sure—I'm about to bring Sharpay her lunch. Chad, Kelsi?" Gabriella pretended to look offended at not getting invited, but Troy looked visibly relieved. Ryan took a second to wonder how much of Troy's "growing up" had to do with his distaste for Chad's girlfriend.

Going back to the kitchen, Ryan unwrapped the bendy straw and stuck it in the cup. "Here," he said to Chad, handing the smoothie to him. Ryan said, "What's up with Troy?"

Kelsi rolled her eyes. Chad said, "What's up with Mark?" and Ryan shut up. Chad led the way upstairs to Sharpay's room, even though Kelsi was probably more familiar with it. They both ignored that fact.

Sharpay was propped up in her room. The fading letters of the word "SINGER" still lingered on her forehead. Chad and Kelsi looked around the room to make sure nothing had changed since the last time they'd been here. The walls were still white. Her ceiling had a _Spring Awakening_ poster on it now. Sharpay smiled at the cup in Chad's hand. "You," she gushed, "are absolutely fabulous."

He put it in her loose grip. She almost dropped it. Kelsi scurried forward to secure it.

Sharpay said, "Kelsi's here, too! Kelsi, baby! Come gimme a kiss."

Kelsi smiled. She said, "Are you okay?" Sharpay's cheeks were still a little swollen. Chad noticed that a sheet was draped over her mirror.

Sharpay said, "Chad I haven't seen you! God, I love you. I love Kelsi, too. I love everyone!"

Chad said, "Sharpay...are you taking anything?"

"What?"

"Are you high?"

"What?"

"Sharpay, are you on drugs?"

"Percocet," Sharpay said dreamily. She sipped through the straw. "I'm losing so much weight. All I can eat are liquids."

Chad shifted on his feet. He said, "Well—I just wanted to see if you were okay."

Sharpay smiled and said, "Thanks."

Kelsi said, "Troy and Gabriella—"

Sharpay choked on her smoothie. She said, "I don't have enough painkillers to deal with them."

"I should probably go down and tell them," said Kelsi. Sharpay waved her off.

Chad lingered for a second. "I'd kiss you," he said.

"It's okay," Sharpay said soberly. "I know I look hideous."

"That's not what I'm saying," Chad said. "I just want you to be all there when I do."

Sharpay scoffed. "You're not a good romantic, Chad."

Chad grinned. Ryan came up. He held Sharpay's Percocet in his hand. "She's gotta get hopped up again," he said. Chad left.

Sharpay looked at Ryan hazily. "Everything good with Mark?" she asked. Ryan shrugged. Sharpay twisted her lip. "Thanks," she said.

Ryan said, "Don't worry about it."

Sharpay asked, "What happened?"

Ryan fingered her pills and picked one up. He said, "Nothing."

He didn't mean it as "nothing's wrong," but "nothing happened, and that's what wrong." Sharpay wanted to hug him, but she was too busy swallowing her Percocet.

"I love you," she whispered, and actually meant it before the drug started taking her away again.

Ryan said, "I know," and patted her hand.

He took the half-finished smoothie from her and went back downstairs. He looked out the front windows, sighed, and opened the door.

"She's knocked out," he said, annoyed, to Troy and Gabriella. Chad was sitting in the swing seat on the porch. Kelsi was waiting beside Gabriella's giant SUV.

Gabriella said, "But we didn't get to see her!"

Ryan took a deep breath and said, "Don't say that like you're disappointed." He shut the door.

Everything hit the fan.

----

* * *

Ryan...angry? I guess. Sharpay apologizing? Yes, she already apologized to Kelsi. She's lying. Chad and Troy growing apart...well, they didn't exactly have the healthiest of relationships. And Sharpay hopped up on Percocet--that's my excuse for her OOC-ness, because I've re-written that scene ten times, and this is the least melodramatic I can make it. This is what happens when I write half of the chapter and then go off on a second person Chenzel extravaganza (Thanks, Cee! I'm sorry it's so long!) for five days. April will be happy, I swear! 

Review!


	9. April

Ten Months of Bliss  
Chapter 9

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: I think we've all established my woeful lack of possession of anything._  
_

* * *

_April_

----

Chad held the cardboard tray boredly, back to his regular position of Coffee Carrier. Sharpay and Ryan stood in conference in front of Sharpay's pink locker. Chad opened the lid to Sharpay's iced coffee and sniffed. He pulled a face.

Sharpay held Ryan's fedora in her hands and kept pushing out the crown. She said, "Then just ask him out." Ryan frowned. "Officially, Ryan."

Chad pretended to pay attention. "Exactly, babe."

"Stop pretending to pay attention," Sharpay said. She turned back to Ryan. "Seriously. Two months, Ryan? I was almost concerned, and it's all because he wants a common courtesy extended to him? Seriously?"

"Hey, where's Kelsi?" Chad asked suddenly. Sharpay looked around quickly.

"Where _is_ she?" she wondered.

Chad said, "What about Gabriella? I've seen them hanging out—"

"Oh god."

Ryan scanned the hallway. He asked, "Where's Troy?"

"Where _is_ everyone?" Sharpay asked. "Fucking hell. People need to make themselves more seen." She turned back to Ryan. "Mark."

Ryan sighed. "Mark is being stupid," he said.

Sharpay snapped, "You're both being stupid. You stopped seeing each other because Mark wanted a nice date. He wants you to ask him out. You miss him. So fucking do it already. Apologize for not telling him you got into Charleston and grow a pair."

Chad said, "I thought you were going to college in New York."

"I am," Sharpay explained. "He'll transfer in a year. Charleston's a fun city, anyway."

Ryan whined, "But Mark doesn't even pay attention to me anymore!"

Sharpay turned and hit Chad's arm. He handed her a cup. She asked, "Chad, what's the best way to get a guy's attention?"

Chad shrugged. "Sex him," he said.

Sharpay laughed.

Ryan rolled his eyes.

The bell rang.

----

Sharpay leaned her head on her hand and doodled in her notebook. _Ragtime_ happened to English class around her. Chad reached over her shoulder and wrote on the page, _Prom?_

Sharpay wrote back, _You_. _Stupid?_

Chad smirked, and Sharpay could hear him breathing in her ear. He needed to brush his teeth.

"Chad? Sharpay?" Mr. Kemble asked, interrupting his own monotone about WASP families. The rest of the class took advantage of his momentary distraction to contort themselves into awkward positions in order to see the clock

"Just trying to get her notes, Mr. Kemble," Chad said, his smirk easily sliding into a smile. Mr. Kimble raised his eyebrows, bushy atrocities that happened to old men and overdrew his not-quite-mid-life-crisis face. "WASP, yes?"

Sharpay nodded in the background in front of Chad.

Mr. Kimble said, "Returning to the subject, then—the family doesn't have actual names, and in fact, the son isn't even capitalized. He's just referred to as a comely boy, one who's introspective..."

Jason tried to get himself back into a regular sitting position.

Sharpay leaned her head back, her hair splaying over Chad's desk. She smiled at him upside down. Chad leaned forward, and she straightened up. He rested his chin on her shoulder. Sharpay wrote, _Out__ tonight?_

Chad reached around and scrawled, _Pizza?_

Sharpay wrote, _Out_.

Chad wrote, _Nah._

Sharpay wrote, _Brush your teeth_.

----

"I mean really, Shar," Chad said around his taco. "I don't see why you have to go out tonight."

"Oh my god," Mark groaned, "Don't tell me you're still arguing over that."

Sharpay picked at her quesadilla. Taco Bell for off-campus lunch wasn't her idea. "Really, Mark?" she asked. "Is one day really that hard for you to comprehend?"

Ryan kicked Sharpay from under the table. Sharpay said brightly, "So, two months! What did Ryan do?"

Ryan buried his face in his hands. "Sharpay," he whined. Mark petted his hair. "We're going to prom."

"Mmhmm."

"Like—together."

Sharpay frowned. "That's odd," she said. "Then who's taking Kelsi?"

Chad frowned. "No one."

Ryan frowned. "Is that a problem?"

Sharpay shrugged. "As the only person here with two X-chromosomes, yes, that's a problem." She bit down on her quesadilla and instantly regretted it. "Ugh," she said, and nudged Chad to let her out of the booth.

"Why?" Mark asked, but Sharpay was stalking up to the counter to confront the college student working the register.

"This is steak," Sharpay said, pointing accusingly at the unmistakable brown meat nestled in cheese and tortilla. The gangly boy looked down at her.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"I didn't order steak."

He shrugged. "Sorry." He moved to get a chicken quesadilla.

"Why did I get steak, then—" Sharpay peered at his nametag, "Daniels?"

"My name is Kevin," Kevin said.

"It's Daniels," Sharpay retorted. She pointed at his nametag. "Kevin Daniels. Chicken, Daniels."

It was a shame that Kevin didn't have self-respect, or else he might have spit in Sharpay's food. Instead, he just murmured, "Sorry," again, in a much more apologetic tone, and found a freshly made chicken quesadilla for her.

"You're amazing," Sharpay gushed, and went back to the table.

"—but really, it's all because Olivia wanted to do it her way," Ryan was finishing. Chad smiled briefly.

"Ryan, we all love theater, but spare the other people," said Sharpay. She unwrapped her food and grinned at it. "Chad," she said, when she'd started eating, "we should go out tonight."

"Why can't we just rent a movie and order pizza?" Chad asked, irritated.

"What if I dressed like a stripper and sang for you?" Sharpay said.

"Is there pizza?"

Sharpay lowered her pitch. "There might be sex." Ryan snorted, if only because Sharpay was maybe half-joking.

Mark asked, "Who's taking Kelsi to prom?"

----

Sharpay flipped lazily through one-act plays. The seniors of the drama class were supposed to pick one and perform it for their final grades. Sharpay partnered with Mark back when things weren't awkward, and Olivia was their props girl. They had three more weeks and no more motivation.

Olivia took the time to redraw the stage set. "Dammit," she muttered, erasing a line. "I keep forgetting the backdrop space."

"You don't even have to do that," Sharpay said.

"Makes me feel better." Olivia dropped her pencil and rubbed her eyes. "Where's Kelsi? I miss her banging on the piano."

Sharpay looked at her. Olivia said, "What?"

"I'm giving you ten seconds to rephrase that."

"Where's Kelsi? It's really quiet today." Sharpay looked at her again. "I know, not much better, but I'm tired." Sharpay shrugged. They watched Ryan rehearse his dancing with Kristin, a wonderful comic relief actress. It was lucky that she was known for comic relief.

Olivia asked, "Where's Chad?"

Sharpay frowned, opening a play called _Overtones_. "Are you just asking that because I'm storming?"

Olivia said, demurely, "You're storming?"

"Oh, fuck me."

"So what's up with Mark?"

Sharpay said, "Please! You musn't muss me!" in an English accent. She made a face and threw _Overtones_ to the side. "Mark is going to prom with Ryan."

Olivia waited a beat.

"What, that's it?" she asked.

"Yes."

Olivia dropped her pencil. "So all that—tension and depression and whatever, was over a _date_?"

"Yes."

"What. The. Hell."

Sharpay grimaced. She leaned back on the stairs and tilted her head back to watch Ryan dance. "Yes," she said to the ceiling. "It's stupid."

"So who's taking Kelsi?"

Sharpay groaned. "I don't know."

"So are you going to prom with Chad?"

"Are you stupid?" Sharpay asked. "Yes." She rolled over and supported herself on her elbows. "Is it too much to want to go out?"

"Probably not."

"I even shaved my legs this morning."

"Did you?" Olivia said, clearly paying attention only halfway.

"I'm going to when I get home."

Mark walked on from backstage, having found Olivia's stash of Jolly Ranchers. He threw a watermelon to Olivia as compensation. He dropped down beside Sharpay. Sharpay asked him, "What if I shaved my legs?"

Unfazed, Mark said, "Then you wouldn't have hairy legs."

Sharpay snorted. "Not that it'd matter to you. What color tux are you wearing to prom?"

"Red, I think. Maroon. Something deliciously flamboyant."

Sharpay smiled. There was a reason she'd liked Mark. "Maroon. College of Charleston color?"

"I figured I'd give Ryan a good send-off." Sharpay stared. Olivia picked up her pencil and began twirling it, which meant that she was listening intently. Mark shrugged. "I like your brother a lot, Sharpay. He's going to the other side of the country in a few months."

"What happened to my gay little Mark?" Sharpay asked.

"I am gay."

"I meant happy."

"I am happy." Mark smiled. "I'm going to prom with Ryan Evans."

"And that's all you want?"

Mark looked over Olivia's shoulder and pointed out that there was more curtain space than she'd drawn. He said, "Isn't that what anyone wants?"

Sharpay said, "I want to go out tonight."

"Shave you legs," Olivia said. "Just in case."

----

Sharpay sort of wished that crickets could chirp louder, just to make the situation more awkward. Troy Bolton stood in front of her, and a few months ago, she might have squealed with glee. Now, she just glared at him, hoping he would go away. One moth hovered around the porch lamp.

Troy licked his lips. "Is um—is Chad home?" he asked.

"We're not playing house, Bolton. There's no guest room made up for you." Sharpay withdrew anyway and yelled for Chad. Chad yelled back that he was coming, and Sharpay turned back to Troy. She looked past his shoulder to his renovated vintage car, and frowned at the shape in the front seat. "Is that Kelsi?" she asked.

Chad came up behind her. "Where's Kelsi?"

"In Troy's car," Sharpay said.

Chad noticed Troy. "Hey man. What do you need?"

"We were...over at Gabriella's, and I was giving her a ride back," Troy said unnecessarily. "I um. I just wanted to talk."

Chad smiled like Sharpay sometimes did. "Probably not talk," he said, and Sharpay stepped on his foot. "You can come in. Get Kelsi, too, if you want."

Sharpay opened the door further and waved at Troy's car. The shape that was probably Kelsi waved back weakly, and Sharpay asked, "What were you doing at Gabriella's house?"

"Um," Troy said. "Watching a movie?" He cleared his throat and said with more authority, "Watching a movie. Gabriella's never seen _Moulin Rouge_."

"Neither have you, I imagine." Sharpay tilted her head. "Are you coming in?"

Troy turned to look back at Kelsi, and some sort of eye communication happened, and Kelsi got out of the car.

Sharpay closed one eye in the dusk lighting and sighed. "This is going to be awkward," she said to Chad, in full hearing of Troy on purpose.

Chad said, "For us or for them?"

"Maybe not for you," she said. "Isn't that fabulous?"

----

Troy asked, "Why?"

Sharpay folded her slice of pizza and bit down. Chad frowned. "I don't know," he said, honestly. "Why not?"

"Because—" It was obvious that Troy was uncomfortable talking about it, much less in front of other people. "Because we're brothers, man!"

Sharpay muttered to herself "That would be incest," and Chad elbowed her. Troy, not having heard, said, "You're supposed to—to support me and shit!"

"I am. I was. And then you stopped supporting me. And then I came around but you never did."

Troy said, "But she's—she's Gabriella!" Sharpay coughed on a piece of pepperoni. "See? How can you—how can you give her a chance?" asked Troy. "How can you give her a chance if you're dating the one person who hates her?"

"I don't hate Gabriella," Sharpay said, once she swallowed. "Why would you think that?"

Chad said, "Hey, I'm fine with Gabriella. All the power in the world to Gabriella."

"Besides," Sharpay cut in, "didn't Chad support you? At some point? I don't know, February some time?"

Troy flinched. Sharpay smirked. Kelsi bit her lip and stared at Chad's living room carpet. Chad looked between Troy and Kelsi. "Oh," he said.

"Oh what?" asked Sharpay. She bit off the last parts of pizza before the crust and looked between Troy and Kelsi. "Oh."

"What?" asked Kelsi.

"Is privacy no longer a pillar of our society?" Sharpay said in a Mrs. Darbus voice. Chad rolled his eyes and took her crust, because he knew she didn't like it. "Really, Nielsen. You told Bolton of all people?"

Troy snapped, "Hey, look, it's not like you were doing the best thing for her anyway. You're—you're a horrible person, Sharpay. You don't...Gabriella said you were okay, but you're not. You don't respect anyone, you only think about yourself, and—" He cut himself off because he didn't know what else to say.

Sharpay looked at him blankly. "Oh, look at the time," she deadpanned. "Really, Kelsi, you need to get home."

Troy stood angrily. "You're messed up, you know that? Both of you."

Chad almost rose, but Sharpay caught his arm and pulled. Chad said, "You live in a glass house, Troy."

Troy said, "Come on, Kelsi."

Sharpay asked, "Oh, Kelsi. Who are you going to prom with?" When Kelsi faltered, she said, "If you want to, you can come with our limo. Olivia's coming, too."

They left.

Chad said, "You were right. That was awkward."

"We win," Sharpay said simply.

"Was it a game?"

"No." She got up and washed her hands. "But Gabriella thought it was. Kind of."

"We lied," Chad said.

"Huh?"

"About Gabriella."

"Doesn't everyone?" Sharpay wiped her hands and looked at the clock. "It's only nine. Want to go out?"

Chad reached out and snagged his jacket from the couch. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go out."

----

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update! I randomly hit a writer's block and then had the worst time getting the idea I had out there. It's all teenage and melodramatic. The Mark Ryan thing is resolved, though with less panache than I thought because towards the end, I decided that Mark wasn't really one of those horribly attached gay guys. Because the few ones I know in high school aren't known for their...depth of emotion. 

One more! Hopefully, I'll have it up faster than I had this one. In the meantime, review!


	10. May

"Ten Months of Bliss"  
Chapter 10

by TehFuzzyPenguin

Disclaimer: The only thing Disney has that I want is a DVD of _Beauty and the Beast_. Alas, I don't own that, either.

* * *

_May_

----

Sharpay woke up with a start, her leg jerking in the middle of her dream. Maybe she was trying to run from something. She blinked and looked at the clock. It read ten minutes past getting up, and she groaned.

Ryan burst through the door. "Happy Birthday, Sharpay!"

Sharpay gave him the finger. She rolled over and closed one eye, squinting at Ryan in the early morning sun. She hated Daylight Savings Time. "I hate Daylight Saving Time," she said in greeting.

"Come on, you have to pack for Lava Springs," said Ryan, smiling widely. "Mark's already over."

"Why is Mark coming?"

"Isn't Chad coming?" Sharpay sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yes," she said. She frowned. "But I invited Chad." Seeing Ryan's all-too-cheerful face, she gave up and turned to get off the bed. "Where did we go last night?"

Ryan frowned, trying to remember as well. "I don't know."

Sharpay nodded. "Well, at least I don't have a hangover." She raised her eyebrows. "Oh," she said. "Kelsi was there." She smiled. "Oh, Kelsi."

"Always with an aspirin and a glass of water," Ryan added. "I just want to pack her up and take her to Charleston with me."

"Please Ryan." Sharpay waved a hand and tried to stand. She failed and fell off the bed. "Fuck," she cursed from the floor. She continued, "Kelsi's coming to Tisch. And you're leaking happy all over the place." Managing, with the help of sheets and blankets, to stand upright, Sharpay said, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Hurry up!"

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Mark is already here, we want to go!"

"I'm taking a shower now."

----

Chad rolled his window down and stuck his hand out. Sharpay said, "Careful. Don't want to get pulled for a DUI." Chad did a few dips with his hand anyway.

He said, "It's like...one in the afternoon. No one's drunk this early."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Unless it's high school kids coming from prom." She rolled her window down, too. "Where were we last night?" she asked over the sound of air whipping through her car.

"Jason's," Chad said. Sharpay drummed her fingers in recognition. "What is this?"

"What?" Chad thumped the stereo. "Hey," said Sharpay. "It's Regina Spektor. Don't knock it."

"She's singing about Oedipus Rex."

"What?"

"Oedipus Rex."

"What?"

"Oedipus Rex!" Chad yelled.

Sharpay smiled. "Bless you," she said, and Chad hit his head against the back of the seat. "Look. I'm inviting you to my country club for our after-prom vacation. There will be parties. And cake. It's my birthday."

Chad closed his eyes.

Sharpay sang, "I can cry if I want to," and smiled again. "It'll be fun," she said. "The pool is hella. West High is having its prom tonight, we can sneak in—"

"Oh god no," Chad groaned. He squeezed his eyes. "I don't ever want to hear 'It's poppin' again."

"It's called 'Lipgloss,' Chad. We don't have to go if we don't want to, it's not _our_ prom."

Chad flipped the door lock off and on. "What do you want to do for your birthday?" Sharpay resisted the urge to insist on crashing the West High prom.

"Swim. Sleep. Get a good round of pool in—" Her Blackberry went off, and she reached behind herself with one hand, trying to find it in her purse. "Felton—just—got—pool tables—Chad, help?" Chad turned and got the Blackberry for her.

"It's Ryan," he said, and handed it to her.

"Hello?" Sharpay shifted the Blackberry to her left hand and steered with her right. "Ryan—seriously?" Chad could hear a fast-paced babble coming from the earpiece. "Okay. All right. Was it your fault? I don't care if—was it your fault? Are you going to get a ticket? Okay. Fine. I'll pick you up. Yeah. No, I figured. Okay—I'm hanging up, Ryan. I am. I'm hanging up _right now_." She hung up.

Chad said, "I thought you were left handed."

"I am," Sharpay said. She searched the sides of the road for small streets she could turn off on.

"You're steering with your right hand."

"...And you're scared, I know." Sharpay found a dirt trail on her left and turned onto it, getting ready to do a three point turn. "Ryan just got in a wreck."

Chad raised his eyebrows. "Oh god," he said.

"He's just so talented." Sharpay took a deep breath, and pulled back out on the main road, headed in the opposite direction. "Fantastic present, isn't it?"

Chad grunted. Piano music filtered through Sharpay's speakers, and Regina Spektor started singing about Samson. He wondered what the name of the woman who'd cut his hair was.

"Delilah," Sharpay said, not bothering to wait for him to ask.

"Huh?"

"Samson and Delilah. But that's not what the song is about." Sharpay smiled. "God, today's going to be great."

"Your brother just got in a car wreck."

Her smiled fixed itself on her face. "It's going to be fucking awesome."

----

Chad eyed Ryan's sandwich as they sat down in the Lava Springs dining room. "Quite a sandwich you got, man," he said. Ryan smiled down at it.

Sharpay said, "You would eat after that."

"After what?" Ryan asked, his mouth about to descend on the crust.

"After almost getting me killed," Mark grumbled from the other side him. Ryan turned, and Mark smiled back innocently, biting a chip. Chad looked down at his slice of pizza and shrugged, picking it up because he didn't really care about Ryan's sandwich as long as he got food.

"I still don't get it," Chad said around too much hot, melted cheese. "How exactly did you hit someone?"

"I got hit," Ryan said, as though he'd explained and corrected it too many times. "I got _hit_."

Sharpay speared a tomato with her fork and said, "I don't get it, either. Please, Ryan. Enlighten us." Ryan sighed, took a bite, and chewed exaggeratedly as he took the salt shaker, the pepper shaker, and his fork and knife.

"Okay," he said, lining up his knife and fork parallel to each other. "Pretend this is the road, and the knife is the yellow line. I'm in the left lane, trying to turn left to get on the road that will get us here."

"You're explaining this using table utensils," Sharpay muttered. Chad rolled his eyes in accordance, and tried to make sense of Ryan's diagram.

"I'm the salt shaker," Ryan went on, ignoring Sharpay, "And the pepper shaker is the other car. This big black woman—no offense."

"None taken," Chad reassured.

"This big black woman is driving a peeling, beat up, about to die Buick." Ryan placed the pepper shaker. "She's turning right, to go in the opposite direction that I'm facing. I want to turn left. So I'm waiting, waiting, waiting, listening to some Imogen. All of a sudden, she's over the yellow line." Ryan pushed the pepper shaker with his pinky. "She's coming at me head-on, and I can't really go anywhere because hello, this is _my _lane. Boom, car explodes." He clinked the pepper shaker with the salt shaker.

Mark took this time to interject, saying, "The airbags went off. The fucking _airbags_ went off. And then the lady pulls across the road—" He took the pepper shaker and pushed it over the fork. "Into the gas station, and her entire loud family gets out and starts yelling at us—like it's _our_ fault."

"Exactly." Ryan took a definitive bite of his sandwich and let Sharpay and Chad squint at the table. Sharpay looked at Chad with her eyebrows raised, and he raised his back.

Mark said, "What I don't get is why we're celebrating Sharpay's birthday today."

"It is my birthday."

"That's not what it says on Facebook," Mark insisted.

"Oh god," Sharpay sighed. "My Facebook isn't right. It's _such_ a big deal."

"It is her birthday," Ryan said. "We're celebrating mine the day after tomorrow. So we won't steal each other's thunder."

Chad frowned. "That shouldn't make sense," he said. "It really, really shouldn't."

"Oh god," Sharpay sighed. "Chad's part of the family now."

Mark jumped up and threw the water in his glass at the wall. "Opah!" He sat back down and looked confused. "That's just the Greeks, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ryan said, and raised his hand to get more water.

"What do you want to do after lunch?" Chad asked Sharpay. She shrugged.

"Oo," Mark said, "Let's go swimming! C'mon! Can we?"

Sharpay looked at her almost empty plate of salad. "I just ate, Mark. Swimming after this is not going to fly."

"But—"

"Not going to fly, Mark." She smiled at his disappointed face. "Darling. I love you, and I know the pool is great, but I am not swimming."

Chad yawned mid-bite. "I'm going to sleep," he announced. "After we finish eating."

"I'm down for a nap," Ryan said.

"I hate Daylight Saving Time," Sharpay muttered, which everyone took to mean that she was sleeping, too.

"I want to swim."

"Eat your food, Mark."

----

Chad's phone rang. Sharpay rolled over, and her hand hit his chest. She groaned, and wished his ringtone was anything but the standard telephone ring that pierced her eardrums. She lifted her limp hand and let it hit his chest again. "Chad," she half-whined.

Chad reached out blindly and caught his phone under his elbow on the side table. After several seconds of fumbling, he managed to flip it open. "Hello," he groaned.

"Hi, Chad?" He frowned, unable to recognize the voice. "It's Kelsi."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Hi, Kelsi. What's going on?"

"Um. Sharpay's phone was off, and I figured she'd be with you, so..." Chad waited for Kelsi to continue. "Um, so, if she is with you…?"

"Yeah, she's right here. She's sleeping, though, do you want to talk to her?"

"_No!_ No, I—um, when she wakes up, can you just tell her that I'm going to there tomorrow? Instead of tonight? I just—I have some things to take care of." She sounded out of breath.

Chad frowned. "Yeah, sure. Is that all?"

"Yeah. Yeah, Chad?"

Chad sighed, knowing that Kelsi had probably planned to add this as an afterthought. "What?"

"What are you getting Sharpay for her birthday?"

"She's right here, Kelsi, if you need to ask her—"

"_No!_" He heard Kelsi knock something over and curse. "Damn. I mean...what do you get for...what would you like for your birthday?"

"Halo 3," he said instantly.

"That won't work," Kelsi said.

"Look, just tell me what's going on."

"It's just—I only know how to shop for Sharpay and Ryan. And Mark. Y'know? I don't know how to shop for, like, a normal girl. I don't know what to get my other friends."

"What other friends?" Chad realized how it sounded, and tried to do some damage control. "I mean...well, um. Clothes?"

"No, not that kind—Chad?"

"What?"

"Just tell Sharpay I'll be there tomorrow."

She hung up without any warning, and Chad wondered if she'd picked that up from Sharpay. He folded his phone up and put it back on the bedside table, turning over to mirror Sharpay's position.

"What did Kelsi want?" Sharpay asked, slightly more coherent, but still reluctant to open her eyes.

"She says she'll get here tomorrow instead of tonight."

"That conversation definitely took a lot longer."

"I think Kelsi just came out to me," Chad mused, going back over Kelsi's words in his head. If he combined them with what he knew from Sharpay, it made sense.

"Oh." Sharpay settled closer to Chad. "That's nice. We'll give her a fruit basket tomorrow."

"Sharpay."

"And maybe a card."

"Sharpay."

"Okay, fine, a cake, too."

Chad laughed. Sharpay smiled against her pillow. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"Kelsi's the one who will always have an aspirin and a glass of water for me without questioning why. I don't really care what bits of anatomy she likes to sleep with, nor do I believe she's exclusive to just the girly bits." He made a face above her head. "I know. You don't want to hear anymore. But no. I don't mind at all."

"Really?"

"A _nice_ fruit basket, with a pomegranate and no mealy apples, Chad, can we talk about something else now?"

----

Sharpay, Mark, Chad, and Ryan stood on the edge of the pool, the moon reflecting broken on its surface. Mark asked, "Don't we need a lifeguard for this?"

"I thought you wanted to swim earlier," Ryan said.

"Do _you_ want to call Troy? Cos we're not," Sharpay said, and jumped in. She shrieked. "It's warm! Fuck me, it's warm!" Chad jumped in after her.

Pushing the hair out of his eyes, he looked up at the other couple in this little adventure. "It really is," he said. "Come on."

"Chicken fight!" Sharpay commanded, and splashed Ryan's feet. He jumped back reflexively, realized his action, and took a running leap over her head to the center of the pool. "Hey Mark," Sharpay said. "Get in."

Ryan resurfaced. "God, it's warm!" Chad got out and sat on the edge of the pool. "Come on, Mark!" Ryan said.

"I really think we need a lifeguard..." Chad got up, ran around behind Mark, and barreled the boy into the water. He followed soon after, and Sharpay pushed herself up on his shoulders. "Sharpay," Mark whined, "Chicken fight? Why?"

"It's my birthday, and I want to enjoy my country club before the West High prom takes over. Get on Ryan's shoulders."

They played several rounds, with Sharpay winning most of them. From the closest ballroom, they could hear the West High people dancing. Two shadows fell over the underwater lights, and Ryan looked up from dunking Mark. "Oh," he said. "Hi."

Chad and Sharpay turned from their corner where they'd been talking.

Troy and Gabriella said, "Hi, Ryan," and stood awkwardly on the edge.

Ryan asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We were—" Troy started.

"Some friends from West High invited us, and we saw a pool on our way here, so we figured..."

Ryan looked at Sharpay, who looked at Chad, who said, "You need bathing suits."

Sharpay swallowed hard. "Um. Gabriella, do you think you can fit into mine?" Gabriella looked hopeful, but mostly wary, and Sharpay wanted to throttle her. If that was all she could act when Sharpay extended kindness...

"Felton can find something," Ryan cut in for her. He directed the statement at Troy and Gabriella. "Go to the front desk and say that the Evans family let you guys in, and he can get you anything."

They watched the overdressed couple retreat. Sharpay asked, "Why would they go to two proms?" Ryan rolled his eyes and set out for the other side of the pool.

Chad asked, "How can they function after last night?"

Mark said, "They accessorize each other well."

Sharpay looked at them both. Mark shrugged. "Yes," she conceded, "they do." She swam languidly to Ryan. "I feel like I'm in _Garden State_," she said when she reached him.

"That would be incest," he replied, nonplussed.

Sharpay shut one eye. "Would our children be deformed?"

"They'd be so fabulous the world would explode. As great as that sounds right now."

"Why? It's such a great place." Ryan turned his head, one eye closed, and they both smiled. Sharpay asked, "What are you going to do in Charleston?"

"Go to the beach every day and get tan. And then I'd dance all night and sleep with my teachers to pass. What are you going to do in Tisch?"

"Go to a show every night and put on a show every day. I'll go star watching."

"Stars like constellations or stars like Liza Minnelli?"

Sharpay thought. "Both. Though maybe not like Liza."

"Is she still alive?"

"Very much so." Ryan looked back at Mark and Chad, who were watching two figures who were unfortunately probably Troy and Gabriella. "I don't know what I'm going to do about Chad."

Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Why? It's not like you're going to schools on opposite sides of the country or anything."

"Ryan—"

"Hey," he said. "You'll be in the best theatre program in the world. And he'll be in the best basketball program in the world. And you get that about each other, and you're perfectly okay with that, even though you know it's going to end soon. Don't let mom's...random nosiness get to you."

"It doesn't."

"I know," said Ryan, and Sharpay didn't bother asking him why he'd said that, because he looked sad, and not over Chad.

"Hey," she said. "Let's go rescue Mark and Chad and get some brownies."

Ryan pushed himself off the wall and started walking through the water. Sharpay followed him, suddenly saying, about halfway across, "Oh. We need to put together a fruit basket for Kelsi tomorrow. A good one. With a pineapple and a pomegranate and some other fruit that starts with P. A pear."

"Why?"

"It's a long story."

They approached the awkward foursome, Sharpay putting a hand on Chad's arm and the other on Gabriella's shoulder. Gabriella jumped. Ryan did the same to Mark and Troy, and they both leaned in.

"It's lovely seeing you," Sharpay said, "but we had a...long day. Ryan got in a wreck, and we're all just a little shaken by it. I think I'm going to bed now. Chad?"

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, it was...well, have fun with your friends."

Ryan made a face of sympathy, and Mark said, "You look nice!"

They walked back to the country club quickly, grabbing towels and going immediately to the kitchens to raid the desserts. Chad found a tray of leftover brownies.

Ryan bit into one and groaned. "Mm, I've missed these."

"I've never had one," Chad said.

"Never?"

"Never."

Sharpay frowned. "God, Chad, how long have you been with us?"

"Not long," he said. "Only since the beginning of this school year."

"Oh. Oh wow, that seems like a long time ago."

Mark said, "And nothing's changed at all."

They all looked at him, Chad with a pitying grin on his face. Ryan started. "Oh my god," he said, "Mark, you're sarcastic!"

"Shocking," Mark said. "I've been around you two."

The two of them laughed entirely too long. Chad put down his half-eaten brownie and turned to Sharpay. "What?" she asked. He shrugged, and stooped down to kiss her lips.

"I just haven't done that all day. I felt off."

"Aw," she said, and stole a corner of his brownie.

"I like it here," he said.

"Of course you do. It's divine."

"Sure."

Sharpay smiled. "Well, thank you. Mm, before I forget. My cousin Jen is coming to graduation."

"Who?"

"I stayed with her over Christmas. Remember? My cousin Jen? Lives in New York?"

"Um. Yeah."

"She's great. You'll hate her."

Chad smiled tight-lipped, trying to get all the chocolate off his teeth before speaking. "Always good to know." He put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her loosely. "Hey," he said. "Happy birthday."

-end-

* * *

Dear lord, that took about five thousand years. Sorry, life just caught up with me. Ryan's car accident actually happened to a friend of mine, and was explained to me in almost the exact same way. Additionally, I think anyone who's trying to come out of the proverbial closet needs a nice fruit basket sent to himher. The ending, I know, was open and completely abrupt, but life happens that way, and the story _is_ called Ten Months of _Bliss_. If you're still here, thank you so so very much for sticking with me for this last chapter. I know it was a long wait, but hopefully, it was (somewhat) worth it! 

review!


End file.
